Body part belonging to one of the Pennington Beach victims found

• Authorities located a body part of one of the people who drowned at Pennington Beach on 3 January 2026
• The body part resurfaced days after a group of people drowned at the KwaZulu-Natal beach during the festive season
• As authorities continue to search for more bodies, the body part is said to belong to a young man, leaving families devastated

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

PENNINGTON BEACH, KWAZULU-NATAL — Family members who joined authorities in searching for the bodies of those who drowned at Pennington Beach, KwaZulu-Natal, on 31 December 2025, were horrified when body parts washed ashore.

According to Newzroom Afrika, the search for the remaining bodies continued days after a group of people were swept away while swimming in the Indian Ocean. Some of the parts were stuck and washed out by the sea. One of the family members who continued to search alerted the team.

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Body parts found at Pennington Beach

The authorities were unable to identify the remains, and a DNA test will be taken to confirm the identity. Weather conditions had made it difficult to locate the remains. The remains were removed from the scene, and the forensic team will be conducting tests to confirm the identity.

What happened at the beach?

One person was confirmed dead, and three people went missing when five people were swept out to sea at Pennington Beach on 1 January 2026. One person was rescued, and one body was found. Emergency services received a call in the evening, and a search was conducted for the missing bodies. The search was suspended due to deteriorating visibility and darkness. The seas were rough because of high wind speeds when the trio disappeared.

Lifesaving SA urged members of the public to be cautious after the incident. The organisation's media director, Dhaya Sewduth, said lifeguards faced various challenges during the festive season. He noted that some of the drowning incidents took place after hours when professional lifeguards were off-duty. He also pointed out that lifeguards rescued a lot of people during the festive season, although an unconfirmed number of people drowned.

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Family devastated after KZN matriculant drowns

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the father of one of the people who drowned at Pennington Beach on 1 January pleaded with authorities to find his remains so he could be given a dignified burial. The young man, a matriculant, drowned on the beach on 1 January when his body was swept out to sea due to rough winds.

Buhlebakhe Nxumalo's father, Sthembiso Shelembe, said his son was visiting his relatives in Pinetown when they decided to visit the beach on New Year's Day. Shelembe received a call from one of his cousins, who did not drown because he did not swim. The cousin told him that his son had drowned.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News