NSRI members respond to a family in distress in Stilbaai.
Cape Town - Two Good Samaratin surfers have helped to save a Gauteng family of three swept out to sea in a rip current in Stilbaai.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) station commander, Stéfan Grové, said rescue teams sprung into action following reports that the father, mother and teenage daughter on holiday from Brits were caught in the rip current on Friday.
“Upon our NSRI rescue vehicle arrival on the scene, we found two surfers, males, Good Samaritans, were paddling towards the three casualties, who were already about 800 metres off-shore.
“Two NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI lifeguard, armed with torpedo rescue buoys, launched into the surf to swim out to the three casualties.
“The two surfers and the three NSRI rescuers reached the family finding the mom to be unconscious in the water but she was breathing.
“The mom was loaded onto one of the Good Samaritans’s surfboards while the dad and daughter held onto the second surfboard,” Grové said.
He said while in the care of the NSRI rescue swimmers and the surfers, the family were kept afloat until the NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene.
“While the rescue craft was returning to our NSRI rescue base, the mom regained consciousness on the boat and medical treatment for non-fatal drowning symptoms was provided.
“On arrival at our NSRI rescue base ongoing medical treatment was administered when their younger daughter arrived at the base to be reunited with her family.
“A Good Samaritan man, at the beach at Jongensfontein, had driven the younger daughter to our NSRI rescue base in goodwill.
“The family reunion was highly emotional. NSRI transported the family to local doctors rooms where the three casualties are recovering in the care of the duty doctor.
“The family, who are on a holiday to Stilbaai from Brits, Gauteng, have expressed their gratitude to all involved for saving their lives.
“NSRI commends the two surfer Good Samaritans for their efforts that contributed to saving the lives of the three family members, and NSRI commend the goodwill of the Good Samaritan man who drove the distraught younger daughter to our base, from Jongensfontein, to be reunited with her family.”
Meanwhile, the NSRI continues its search for a 16-year-old Elsies River boy who went missing on January 2 in Mykonos, following reports from SANParks rangers of a drowning in progress at Tsaarsbank Picnic Site, West Coast National Park, near to Vondeling Island.
“The male partner of the teenager’s sister, aged 22, had attempted to assist the teenager before the teenager disappeared in the surf zone.
“He then found himself in distress in the surf zone, caught in rip currents,” said Craig McGyver, NSRI Mykonos deputy station commander.
“An extensive air, sea and shoreline search has revealed no signs of the missing teenager.
“SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services are continuing in an ongoing search, assisted by SANParks rangers.
Thoughts, care and compassion are with the families of the missing teenager in this difficult time,” said McGyver.
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