Search for missing Walvis Bay teen suspended after two weeks
July 15, 2026
A recovery mission for a missing 15-year-old boy in Walvis Bay has been suspended after nearly two weeks of searching.
The teenager, Erwin Bezuidenhout, went missing at sea on 2 July. A volunteer-led operation, headed by sea rescue official Sean Naudé, had been combing the coastline and surrounding waters in an effort to recover his body.
Naudé says extensive searches involving community members, police, and navy divers all pointed to one likely location — near the rocks where the boy entered the water.
Despite attempts using cameras and excavation equipment, the team was unable to reach the area believed to be trapping the body.
The operation has now been halted, raising concerns about coordination between authorities and the challenges of conducting recovery efforts in hazardous coastal terrain.
