Touring French U18 rugby player is presumed drowned off Cape Point

8 Aug 2024

A young touring player from France was washed out to sea in strong currents at Diaz Beach in a freak accident after a team session.

A member of the French U18 rugby team, on tour in South Africa, has not been found after he was swept away in a strong rip current during a water recovery session on 7 August.

Seventeen year-old Medhi Narjissi was swept out to sea during a water recovery session at Diaz Beach, Cape Point, on Wednesday.

The young player was a member of the French U18 team, which is in South Africa to contest a tournament with the hosts, England, Ireland and Georgia. Narjissi was on an outing with the squad when the incident occurred.

The centre was from the Toulouse club and is the son of Djalil Narjissi, a former hooker of Agen.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) was called and they responded swiftly, but it appears that the young player was pulled out to sea by strong rip currents and after 24 hours has not been found.

Condolences

Although Narjissi has not been confirmed dead, the South African Rugby Union issued a statement in which president Mark Alexander sent condolences to relatives and to the French rugby community.“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and the French rugby community for the tragic loss of Medhi,” said Alexander.

“We cannot begin to comprehend the sorrow the family must be feeling at this moment. Please know that the entire rugby fraternity stands with you in mourning the loss of Medhi. This devastating news has been felt deeply across the rugby community here in South Africa, and around the world.”

Alexander said that SA Rugby had offered every support it could to the French team and Mehdi’s family, who are en route to South Africa.

The impact on the scheduling of the tournament — which kicks off at Stellenberg High School in Cape Town on Monday — has not been determined.

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French clubs Toulouse and Agen also issued statements.

“The club is working with the French Rugby Federation and Saru (to allow the family to travel to the site) and is discussing with them the ongoing searches and the needs for on-site care,” Stade Toulousain said in a press release.

“In addition, the club’s medical department is setting up a support and psychological support unit for the players and supervisors who share Medhi’s daily life. The search is still ongoing in South Africa.”

Agen, Narjissi’s first club, also communicated a statement late on Thursday morning. “The SUA LG (Agen) has learned of the death of Mehdi Narjissi, child of the club, captain and French 2022 Pro D2 champion with Agen. The entire club gives its support to his father Djalil, emblematic hooker of the club, as well as to all his family and his loved ones in this ordeal. We are thinking of you.”

NSRI timeline

The NSRI laid out the sequence of events in a statement:

“NSRI Emergency Operations Centre were contacted by Table Mountain National Parks (TMNP) rangers reporting that they suspected there to be a person in difficulty in the water at Diaz Beach, Cape Point,” an NSRI statement read.

“From a vantage point above the cliffs, the TMNP rangers reported that it appeared that two people were in the surf zone in rip currents, when it then appeared (to the TMNP rangers) that one person had come ashore but the second person may have disappeared in the water.

“While raising the alarm, TMNP rangers were responding to the scene, below the cliffs of Cape Point main parking area, to investigate. The City of Cape Town water rescue network, NSRI Simonstown and NSRI Hout Bay duty crews were activated.

“Cape Medical Response dispatched an ambulance, a rescue vehicle and a paramedic response vehicle.

“Two NSRI rescue craft from NSRI Simonstown station 10 rescue base were launched and 2 NSRI rescue craft from NSRI Hout Bay station 8 rescue base were launched.

“The SA Police Services, an NSRI Simonstown rescue vehicle and an NSRI hout Bay rescue vehicle responded. The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, accompanied by a Metro rescue diver, responded.

“On arrival on the scene air, sea and shoreline rescue resources joined TMNP rangers in an ongoing search for a 17-year-old French male teenager who had reportedly disappeared in the surf zone after it appears that he may have been caught in rip currents.

“A teenage male friend that is reported to have attempted to rescue his teammate from the surf zone had managed to reach the shore and he was not injured.

“Conditions on the scene were 3-4 metre swells and a 15-knot Northerly wind.

“Despite an extensive sea, air and shoreline search there remains no signs of the missing teenager.” DM

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Condolences

NSRI timeline