Captain Pierre Marx was washed away in a river during a rescue mission in the Eastern Cape. (Provided)
- Mop-up operations have started in east London following devastating flooding.
- Search and rescue police captain Pierre Marx, 53, was swept away on Saturday during a rescue operation in the Nahoon River.
- A preliminary report presented to the Prime Minister of the Eastern Cape and the mayor of Buffalo City said five people, including Marx, had died in the floods.
A police captain who was part of the SAPS search and rescue team has died while rescuing people swept away during flooding in the Eastern Cape.
According to preliminary reports, Captain Pierre Marx, 53, and his colleagues at East London K9 Search and Rescue witnessed reports of people being washed away by the Horse Shoe Valley causeway in the River Nahoon on Saturday.
When they arrived at the scene, they found a person trapped on an island in the mainstream of the river with three dead.
“The officers managed to get the three bodies across the stream. After the successful rescue of the plaintiff, who is believed to be a local farmer, Captain Marx struggled against a strong current that swept through him, despite attempts by his colleagues to save him, ”said police spokesman on Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana.
Marx disappeared in the heavy tide and his colleagues recovered his body on Sunday morning.
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“The untimely death of Captain Marx sent a shock wave through the SAPS family and the community at large who expressed distress at the devastating news of his drowning. Captain Pierre Marx is a well-known member of SAPS who made a name for himself inside and outside SAPS for his outstanding heroic rescue activities in the province.
“He was very popular among various communities who witnessed his sense of commitment and empathetic disposition towards the plight of the people,” Kinana said.
In 2012, Marx received an award for his bravery after saving a young boy from drowning in a storm sewer in East London.
On Sunday, the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene, attended the scene.
READ | Mop-up operations begin after Mdantsane floods in eastern Cape Town – one dead
“It is a sad day not only for the SAPS family, but for the whole community. Captain Pierre Marx was an asset and a hope to all of us. We have lost a dedicated and reliable hero, a passionate and loyal member of the South Africa Police Service which has flown the SAPS flag high on various occasions.
“He promoted the image of the organization in a way that makes us all proud to be associated with SAPS. On behalf of the leadership of the province, I wish to convey my deepest condolences to family, friends and colleagues, ”said Méné.
Meanwhile, a preliminary report presented to the Prime Minister of the Eastern Cape and the mayor of Buffalo City said five people, including Marx, had died in the floods.
On Sunday clean-up operations began in Mdantsane, east London.
