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Two Sharks Board employees drowned in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal during a shark net inspection around 07:00 on Wednesday.
According to Hillegard Holtzhausen from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in Richards Bay, the boat five Sharks Board employees were travelling in capsized in the surf at Newark Beach.
He said multiple services including an NSRI sea rescue vehicle, together with other services attended the scene.
"On arrival three crew of the boat were located on the beach. The boat was already beached and two men were reported missing."
He said that one of the men was taken to the lifeguard station and following "medical efforts" was declared deceased by paramedics.
Holtzhausen said two other men were transported to hospital by ambulance in stable conditions.
He said another body of one of the missing men was thereafter found in the surf by a helicopter rescue crew.
Efforts to revive the man were unsuccessful, Holtzhausen said.
"The bodies of the two deceased men have been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services. An ongoing search operation for one missing man is continuing. A KZN Sharks Board fixed wing aircraft has joined in the ongoing search and Police Search and Rescue are continuing in an ongoing search operation."
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said multiple services were on scene together with Police Search and Rescue Empangeni Unit.
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