A man trying to stay cool during the blistering Durban December heat drowned on Tuesday.

An early morning dip in the ocean for three friends ended in tragedy on Durban's popular North Beach, near the Joe Cools restaurant.

One of the men allegedly got into difficulty and disappeared below the surface.

Police divers from the Durban Search and Rescue Unit conducted a search, but failed to find the man.

In a separate incident at Dakota Beach lagoon in Isipingo, the body of a man was recovered on a sandbank, also by the Search and Rescue Unit.

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KwaZulu-Natal police have warned holidaymakers to be cautious during the festive period, particularly in the often unpredictable ocean waters.

Hundreds of thousands of South Africans have flocked to the KwaZulu-Natal coast for their holidays, with most expected to begin the festive revelries this week.