The search operation for 54-year-old Umhlanga businessman Tony Govender continues after he went missing at Hazelmere Dam, where he is presumed to have drowned.

Govender, a former Navy officer, had been spending time at the dam with friends on Friday as part of his birthday celebrations, having turned 54 on 25 May.

According to reports from family members and emergency services, the group had gone out to the dam for a celebratory outing when the incident occurred.It is alleged that strong winds caused a jet-ski to drift away on the water, prompting Govender to enter the dam in an attempt to retrieve it.He reportedly went underwater and did not resurface.

His wife, Essie Govender, joined family members at the dam on Saturday as they maintained a vigil and continued searching the area, expressing hope that he would still be found.She noted that the family intended to return to the site.

Emergency response teams, including Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the South African Police Service (SAPS) Search & Rescue Unit, and Metro Police Search & Rescue, conducted extensive search operations on Saturday.A helicopter and waterborne resources were deployed to assist in the search effort, but no trace of Govender was discovered.Authorities confirmed that operations would resume, with continued coordination between rescue teams to locate the missing businessman.The situation remains active as search teams persist in difficult conditions at the dam.