Surfer recovering after near drowning at Victoria Bay

GEORGE NEWS -A civil engineer from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Alex Erens (48), is currently recovering in Mediclinic George after he got knocked unconscious by another surfer’s board and nearly drowned while surfing in Victoria Bay yesterday, Saturday 26 February.

“We visited my folks for the weekend in George,” said his wife Channae Erens earlier this morning.

She explained what happened: “Alex left the house around 08:00 to go surfing. My guess is the accident happened around 10:00. Apparently another surfer’s surfboard hit him on the head. He was immediately unconscious and went under the water. Other surfers saw this happening and managed to pull him from the water, on his surf board, and get him on the rocks nearby. The surfers immediately notified the lifeguards, who rushed to help. They had to swim Alex out to the beach as they could not pull him from the rocks. Alex vomited all the way from the beach to the grass patch. He was able to tell the lifeguard his name, where he parked his bakkie, the combination of the lock for his keys. After that he lost consciousness,” said Channae.

“He has no clue about anything that happened in Victoria Bay. He can’t even remember catching a wave.” Alex was diagnosed with secondary drowning and is currently recovering in hospital with a big bump to his head and a cut lip, which still needs to be repaired. “He is still in ICU and currently on oxygen,” said Channae.

“He was on a ventilator for the most of yesterday. His lungs have to clear and they have to watch for a secondary infection. He messaged me this morning to say he has such a soar throat. Yesterday, he was in and out of consciousness for the first bit. His lip looks terrible, so it was best for him to just sleep. By the afternoon he was much chirpier, but he could not remember anything that happened at Vic Bay.”

Alex was very relieved to hear that his wet suit was not cut off, but taken off by one of the life guards, Joel Struwig.

“We had such a laugh,” said his wife Channae. “It is obvious he is not done with surfing.” She praised the sterling work of the life guards and surfers who saved her husband's life.

“He always goes out surfing by himself. He was so lucky that the surfers and lifeguards were there.” Family members went down to Victoria Bay after the incident, to retrieve his bakkie and belongings. “Everything was packed neatly in his bakkie. You don’t expect it, but it was such a nice thing to do,” said Channae.

These lifeguards – all three learners of York High – helped to save a surfer’s life yesterday at Victoria Bay. From left are Connor van As, Joel Struwig and Anton le Roux. Photo: Facebook