CAPE TOWN – The Bloubergstrand community is mourning the loss of John Flanigan (80), a highly respected ocean sportsman, following a sea kayaking incident offshore south of On-the-Rocks on Saturday morning.
Despite a swift and coordinated rescue response by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and emergency services, Flanigan was tragically declared deceased after extensive resuscitation efforts.
Rescue operation launched after reports of capsized kayak
According to Rowan Marais, station commander of NSRI Melkbosstrand, the rescue operation was initiated at 07:45 on Saturday 31 January, after eyewitnesses reported an unmanned sea kayak appearing to be capsized offshore.
“NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of an unmanned sea kayak appearing to be capsized in the vicinity offshore south of On-the-Rocks, Bloubergstrand,” Marais said.
West Coast community coast watchers assisted with visual confirmation while NSRI rescue swimmers responded to the scene. The NSRI rescue craft JetRIB was launched from Small Bay, Bloubergstrand.
Good Samaritans first on the scene
Upon arrival, rescue crews found a group of swimmers offshore with the sea kayak. They directed NSRI personnel to Flanigan’s location, where he was being assisted by a Good Samaritan on a stand-up paddle board, supported by additional swimmers.
Flanigan was brought aboard the NSRI rescue craft, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was immediately initiated. The craft returned to Small Bay, where NSRI medics continued CPR alongside paramedics.
“Despite extensive CPR efforts, and after all attempts to resuscitate the man were exhausted, he was sadly declared deceased by paramedics,” Marais said.
The police attended the scene and an inquest docket has been opened.
A familiar face in the morning ocean routine
It appears Flanigan was paddling offshore during his regular morning routine when the incident occurred. He had reportedly paddled out to greet a group of regular morning swimmers, a gesture well-known among the local ocean community.
The NSRI commended the swift actions of the swimmers and the stand-up paddle boarder, whose calm and decisive response helped keep Flanigan supported until rescue crews arrived.
Flanigan was widely admired not only for his ocean skills but also for his resilience. He recently made history by becoming the oldest man to complete the 7.5 km Robben Island to Blouberg swim, earning national recognition within South Africa’s open-water swimming community.
A decade ago, he was diagnosed with Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP), a rare and life-threatening lung condition. He spent nearly two years on continuous oxygen and was initially given only months to live.
Following multiple unsuccessful procedures, Flanigan underwent a groundbreaking six-hour lung lavage on ECMO at Groote Schuur Hospital, becoming the first PAP patient at the facility to receive the treatment — a turning point that allowed him to reclaim an active life.
Founder of a growing coastal swimming community
What began as a small WhatsApp group for casual sea swimmers in Bloubergstrand grew into Topaz Swim Buddies, a thriving coastal community of nearly 450 members. The group was founded by Flanigan — also known as CoastalPop — alongside his wife of 58 years, Ann Flanigan.
“We’ve built a community of ocean swimmers, from casual dippers to Robben Island veterans who simply wanted to share their love of ocean swimming,” he previously said. “For me, this isn’t about breaking records. It’s about resilience, recovery, and my lifelong love of the ocean.”
An enduring ocean legacy
Flanigan’s connection to the sea spanned more than six decades. He surfed waveskis competitively, raced Hobie and Mosquito catamarans, windsurfed, completed more than 500 scuba dives as a PADI Divemaster, and paddled surfskis and sea kayaks along the South African coastline.
“The ocean has always been my sanctuary, my challenge, and my teacher,” he once said.
