Young man jumps off Swakop jetty in suspected suicide

One of Namibia’s top tourist attractions, the Swakopmund Jetty, once again became the site of a possible suicide.

This time, a young man, believed to be in his late teens, allegedly jumped off the end of the 300-metre jetty on Tuesday afternoon.

An incident report issued by the Erongo police on Wednesday states that an eyewitness told police she had greeted a male individual at the jetty. She described him as dark in complexion, wearing grey school-type trousers and a grey jacket and carrying a backpack.

It is further alleged that moments later, the witness heard someone shouting behind her that the man had jumped into the sea. She then observed the victim in the water, “waving and smiling before disappearing beneath the waves”.

According to police, a backpack containing an oshikundu bottle, a Chinese-made radio, and scrap materials was found at the scene. No identification documents were recovered, and the victim’s identity remains unknown. Police are calling on any family who may have lost a male relative fitting this description to urgently contact the Swakopmund police station or the nearest police station.

So far, attempts to recover the body have been unsuccessful.