Four saved from rip current

GEORGE NEWS - A team effort by Samaritans on holiday and Wilderness NSRI Station 23 crew members resulted in a happy ending after two boys and their father were pulled out to sea in a rip current at Leentjiesklip Beach on Friday afternoon, 7 October.

After receiving the call, NSRI rescue swimmers and medics were dispatched to the scene directly while crew members launched a rescue craft from the station.

According to Wilderness NSRI station commander, Mike Vonk, a holidaying family from New Zealand, originally from Bloemfontein, stopped for a swim at Leentjiesklip and the two boys were pulled out in a rip current.

"Their dad rushed into the water to rescue them, but he also got into trouble in the rough sea conditions," said Vonk.

A man from Pretoria, Divan Prinsloo, was on the beach with his own family when he saw the two boys and their father in trouble.

He immediately grabbed one of his children's bodyboard, attached it to his arm and launched into the water to assist. On reaching the father and the two boys, he gave them the bodyboard to use as a flotation device.

"I realised that we would not be able to swim back on our own as we were too heavy, and told the three that we have to wait for assistance. I told them to kick every time a wave came, but I could feel myself also getting tired. The boys kept on asking me whether they were going to die. It was very traumatic," said Divan.

In the meantime his wife, Charice, grabbed a pink rescue buoy while shouting for help. Another holidaymaker from Pretoria, Coenraad Prinsloo (in no way related to the Prinsloo couple), who was visiting his sister, grabbed the buoy from Charice and swam out to the casualties.

An aerial view of the NSRI Station 23 in Wilderness.

When he reached them he swam back to shore with the 13-year-old while Divan stayed with the father and the 10-year-old boy. They were able to use the body board and swim back to shore.

"I saw people in trouble, grabbed the buoy and swam back with one of the boys. It's not a decision-making process, it's just an instinct to try to help people," said Coenraad.

Meanwhile, four construction workers who were working on a building site overlooking the beach, saw the events unfold and also ran down to the beach.

One of the men grabbed an NSRI pink rescue buoy and entered the water to assist. Unfortunately he was pulled out to sea by the strong current and drifted past the casualties, who were at that stage gradually getting closer to the shore.

"When my feet touched the sand, I looked back and saw the construction worker being pulled in by the rip current," said Divan.

Vonk said the first NSRI rescue swimmer on the scene, after assessing the situation, swam out and rescued the construction worker. NSRI medics who had responded to the scene were joined by NSRI crew who had responded by boat and provided emergency medical treatment to the 10-year-old and the construction worker.

"The 13-year-old boy and his father, although shocked by the experience, did not require any medical treatment."

The NSRI on the scene at Leentjiesklip Beach last Friday.