Lifesavers to the rescue

GEORGE NEWS - The sea was rough when one of the Trans Agulhas Challenge rubber dinghy boats capsized near the Wilderness beach on Thursday 28 December.

It was the first day of the event and they were headed out towards Glentana and Mossel Bay. Three members of the Outeniqua Lifesavers Club, under the leadership of Daniël du Toit, did not hesitate when they saw the driver and passenger battling to get the boat back up again.

The lifesavers who are trained in Sea Rescue techniques went to the men's aid and swam them and their boat back to shore. James Martin, who has been a spectator for many years at this annual event, commended Du Toit and his crew for their fearless rescue effort.

"I think it was a job well done. The sea was very choppy and they battled to paddle out to get to the boat."

Martin expressed surprise that the NSRI did not send out a boat. NSRI Duty Controller Michael Vonk, who was in charge of manning the Wilderness checkpoint for the Challenge, explained this week that two of the lifesavers were trained by the NSRI to conduct Sea Rescues. "They did a textbook rescue in a surf situation," he said.

"Only in deep sea situations do we launch an NSRI boat to tow capsized boats back. We were monitoring the situation very carefully. Three duty Lifeguards, including Joshua Wrigley and Francois Potgieter, are Sea Rescue crew members. They swam to the back line in large surf and assisted the crew to swim the boat back to shore. The rescue crew were able to use their experience and specific training for such scenarios to assist with safe rescue and recovery of the boat."

Pink Buoy rescue
An NSRI pink flotation device was used on 28 December by a brave bystander who colluded with lifesavers, the NSRI and emergency services to save the life of a teenager. The Wilderness emergency duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a drowning in progress in the sea in front of the Wilderness Beach Hotel around 12:00. An NSRI sea rescue craft was in the process of being launched and lifeguards were also activated by NSRI to respond directly to the scene using their quad bike - approximately 3 kilometres from their station.

Vonk said, "When lifeguards arrived on the scene, they confirmed that a 16-year old male had been successfully rescued from the water by a member of the public, who had used an NSRI Pink Rescue Flotation Buoy that is stationed at the foot of the stairs to the beach. Lifeguards waded into the surf to assist the bystander with the casualty that he had just rescued to get out of the water for the last few meters. The teenager was not injured. Western Cape Government Health EMS and George Fire and Rescue Services responded and ER24 were also activated by NSRI to respond."

Glentana drowning
A 50-year-old man was declared dead after he was rescued and sustained attempts were made to revive him on the Glentana Beach on 5 January. Shortly after 14:00, lifeguards noticed the man in distress and pulled him out from the water. ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said, "He showed no signs of life and they initiated CPR. Paramedics from ER24 and Metro EMS arrived shortly after and continued with CPR. After some time, the man still showed no signs of life and he was declared dead at the scene. It is understood that he attended the beach with his family when the incident occurred. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident is not yet known. Police attended the scene and are conducting an investigation."

Sharks cause beach closures
Beaches were closed on several occasions due to strong currents and shark sightings. Beaches were busy, but law enforcement and safety measures were maintained.

Fires
The George Fire Department responded to 157 calls in the municipal area in December including fires at seven formal houses, 15 informal houses, a building, four vehicles, 41 car accidents and 40 grass fires. Other incidents included removal of snakes and pet rescues. Fatalities included one person in a shack fire and a drowning in a dam in Pacaltsdorp early in December.