Post by @justadvocacy1

The family of missing 22-year-old Slade van der Walt has confirmed that the badly decomposed body discovered on the shoreline at Blue Waters beach in Strandfontein on 5 October is not him. This news brings a painful mix of relief and renewed heartbreak. While the family is grateful the remains do not belong to their loved one, the confirmation means their long search continues. Slade, a former South African youth weightlifting champion from, disappeared at Strand Beach on 2 September after bravely entering the water to help a colleague in distress. He and a 39-year-old man from Mfuleni were caught in powerful rip currents. The colleague’s body was recovered the following day near the Lourens River mouth, but Slade has not been found despite weeks of searches by family, friends, community volunteers, police divers and the NSRI. The discovery of the body at Blue Waters briefly reignited hope for answers. Because of the advanced decomposition, visual identification was impossible at the scene. Dark-coloured Adidas tracksuit trousers were among the few visible items of clothing. Strandfontein SAPS opened an inquest, and DNA and pathology testing were required. After the results came through, the family has now confirmed the deceased is not Slade. His partner, Jordan-Lee Isaacs, and their young daughter, along with the wider family, continue to live in a painful limbo. They have walked beaches, coordinated volunteer searches from Gordon’s Bay through Strand, Macassar, Strandfontein and further along the coast, and raised funds through a BackaBuddy campaign to keep boats, divers and drones in the water. The family has repeatedly said they are searching, praying and determined to bring Slade home so his daughter can one day have answers. This case is a reminder of how quickly the sea can take a life and how long the wait for closure can be for those left behind. Slade went into the water to save someone else. His community responded by searching for him. That same community spirit is still needed now. Share this post so it reaches further along the Western Cape coastline and beyond. Continued public awareness and support keep the search alive. We stand with the van der Walt and Isaacs families as they refuse to give up. May they find the strength for the days ahead and the answers they so desperately seek. #JustAdvocacy #FindSlade #MissingPerson #StrandBeach #BringSladeHome