The National Sea Rescue Institue has reported at least five drownings in several incidents on beaches across the country on New Year's Day.
NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said drownings were reported in Tongaat and Richards Bay in KwaZulu Natal as well as three incidents at Table View Beach in Cape Town where one person died and one is still missing at sea.
Another incident was reported at Small Bay also in the Western Cape.
Lambinon says several people were also rescued from the surf including one incident where four people were pulled out of the water by four men after they swept out to sea by rip currents at Buffels Bay.
"In some of those incidents, particularly at beaches where lifeguards were on duty, there were no fatalities. But, all of the incidents that did happen, appeared to have occurred at beaches were lifeguards were not in attendance," he said.
The NSRI is again urging people to only swim at beaches where lifeguards are in attendance.
At the time of writing, Lambinon said there no reports of drownings on Eastern Cape beaches were received.
