Police in Stilbaai have opened an inquest docket for further investigation after the body of man was recently found near a river in the area.

The police and National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) were called to the Goukou River Mouth on Sunday, to attend to reports of a man who disappeared in the river. The local said to be in his fifties, had apparently tried to cross the river when he fell in.

The NSRI’s Craig Lambinon says the man was then swept away.

“It was reported that he had been swept down river and had disappeared while crossing through the river. During shoreline search efforts eyewitnesses on the scene reported having last seen the man being swept out of the river mouth and into the sea.”

Lambinon says shoreline search efforts were activated, shortly after which the man’s body was found and recovered.

The body was transported to the NSRI Stilbaai base, where Western Cape Government Health EMS and forensic services attended. The incident is under investigation.

This comes days after a nine-year-old boy was in critical condition in hospital after a near-drowning incident in Simon’s Town. The child was rescued from the water by caretakers, and later airlifted to hospital. A second child involved in the incident was transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

READ MORE: Child (9) in critical condition after near drowning in Simon’s Town

Meanwhile, Simon’s Town police are investigating the cause of a death of a man whose body was found at Fisherman’s Beach on Saturday.

Lambinon says the unidentified body was found by passersby on the shoreline among the rocks. The body was recovered and taken to Government Health Forensic Pathology Services for further investigation.

“It appears that there are no reports of a person missing that may relate to this case and the circumstances are unknown. Police are investigating.”

The NSRI has called on anyone with information on this incident, or who can to identify the man, to contact the Simon’s Town Police Station on 0217868646.