Durban police investigate two separate deaths

South African police have launched inquest investigations following the discovery of two unidentified male bodies in separate incidents in Durban on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

In the first incident, Durban SAPS Search and Rescue teams recovered the body of a man, believed to be approximately 36 years old, from the Umgeni River near Clare Estate. The body was retrieved using a Rescue Stokes Basket and handed over to the Sydenham Police Station.

In a second, separate incident, rescuers and eThekwini lifeguards responded to reports of a drowning at North Beach. An unidentified adult male was found floating in the shorebreak near the North Beach Pier. Authorities noted that a white cord was found tied tightly around the man's neck. The body was handed over to the Durban Central Police Station, where an inquest docket has been registered.