The country’s military reported that three South African naval divers perished on Wednesday after being swept from their submarine in rough waters close to Cape Town.
When the event happened, an army submarine traveling to Cape village was staging a refueling operation off the coast of the village of Kommetjie. A helicopter was supposed to drop off supplies, but the operation failed when rough seas hit the submarine.
“High waves swept away seven crew members out to sea,” said the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The rough conditions adversely affected rescue attempts.
“All seven members were recovered but sadly there were three fatalities with one senior officer in critical condition,” said the army in a statement.
The “navy exercise” incident and the injuries were also confirmed by the military trade union for South Africa, the South African National Defence Union. The largest naval facility in South Africa is located in Simon’s Town on the Cape Peninsula.
The public is invited to board ships and a submarine during a series of parades and exercises the South African navy will conduct in Cape Town from Saturday through Monday.
