Despite exhaustive efforts that encompassed sea, air and shoreline searches, there has been no success in locating 17-year-old Ryder Kossatz. Wynberg Boys’ High, Kossatz’s school, has organised a memorial service to honour his memory, scheduled to happen at Wynberg Boys’ High School on Friday, 18 August.
Blurb: Teenager still missing after being swept out to sea in Llandudno
On the afternoon of Wednesday, 9 August, the National Sea Rescue Institute in Hout Bay and Bakoven received an activation signal in response to eyewitness reports concerning a male teenager who had gotten caught in rip currents after he was swept away from the rocks along the shoreline beneath the Llandudno Sandy Bay parking area.
The NSRI recounted that the young man had been in the shallows near the shoreline with his friends, perched on the rocks. A sudden wave, as reported, unexpectedly knocked him off his feet. It is believed that he then attempted to swim along with the ocean currents in an attempt to escape the rocky edge.
Despite exhaustive efforts that encompassed both sea and air searches, as well as scouring the shoreline, there has been no success in locating the teenager.
Wynberg Boys’ High, Kossatz’s school, has acknowledged the tragic event and expressed its sentiments through a tribute. The announcement conveyed that Ryder Kossatz, a student in Grade 11, had been swept away by waves from the Llandudno rocks on Wednesday afternoon and that, regrettably, the NSRI’s rescue endeavours have not yielded the desired outcome.
The school extended its heartfelt condolences to Ryder’s family and friends, emphasising their love, thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. In a show of solidarity, the WBHS sports teams donned armbands over the weekend.
Headmaster Deon Scheepers organised an assembly on Thursday morning, gathering on the fields to foster a sense of hope and unity. He encouraged the students to seek support from their tutors, house heads and the school’s support staff.
To honour the memory of Ryder Kossatz, a memorial service has been scheduled at Wynberg Boys’ High School on Friday, 18 August 2023, starting at 11:30am.
While intended for WBHS students and staff to pay their respects, the service will also be attended by Ryder’s family, close friends and special guests. The school said that the wider Wynberg community, including friends and parents, is welcome to attend.
An RSVP via the provided link is necessary to facilitate seating arrangements: https://forms.office.com/r/bJDE5aC7AC
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be live-streamed. The live stream can be accessed via the following link: https://bit.ly/WBHS23-InMemoriam-RyderKossatz.
The school requested that any inquiries be directed to Mr RJ Theunissen at [email protected].
Our deepest condolences are extended to Ryder’s loved ones during this time.
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Picture: Crystal Clear / Unsplash