GEORGE NEWS - Lifesaving season kicked off on Friday 1 December, with lifeguards deployed to all major beaches in the George municipal area. This year's tender was awarded to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
Many lifeguards from Outeniqua Surf Lifesaving Club signed up to deliver this essential service to the community during the December holidays and festive season.
Although the contracts only commenced on 1 December, many lifesavers were already deployed on several beaches during the last weekend in November, where they worked on a volunteer basis while finishing their training.
Richard Botha, club captain of Outeniqua Surf Lifesaving Club, who is involved in the training of the lifeguards, said they were hard at work to get ready for the season.
Surfers enjoy the foamies at Victoria Bay on Sunday 3 December. Photo: Karma Pienaar
Rescue at Vic Bay
Last Thursday, 30 November, the NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated at 14:15 by lifeguards of Outeniqua Surf Lifesaving who were conducting volunteer surf lifesaving duties. "They reported that they had rescued an 11-year old boy from the water at Victoria Bay," said Mike Vonk, NSRI Wilderness station commander.
"NSRI medics and a WC Government Health EMS paramedic responded. On arrival at the scene, NSRI medics and the EMS paramedics assisted lifeguards who had the child in their care on the beach at their lifeguard tower.
"Following medical assessments the child was released in good health requiring no further medical care. The swift response by the lifeguards is commended."
NSRI eyewitness
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon happened to witness the operation as it unfolded. The following extract is Lambinon's observations of the scene:
"I was in the water at Victoria Bay at the time, cooling off in the surf when I noticed the lifeguards responding into the water. I looked in the direction that they were responding towards and saw a child with his head barely breaking the water surface and obviously caught in a rip current.
"I had noticed that rip current earlier while I was swimming there in the rising tide, nearing high tide and the natural action of the surf currents drew bathers towards the rip current, but lifeguards, using their referee whistles, would regularly encourage bathers towards the safer swimming area.
"As a former helicopter rescue swimmer, I started to swim towards the child but the young lifeguards were super fast. This was a classic example of lifeguards doing exactly what they are meant to do - intervening in a drowning accident before it becomes serious.
"Lifeguards are the unsung heroes who prevent a drowning before it happens and in this case the large group of young lifeguards were volunteering to be at the beach on duty. There was a large number of people in the water that the lifeguards were regularly corralling to go left and/or right at the narrow safer swimming area that they had posted using their red and yellow flags.
"Huge respect and a shout out to the Outeniqua Surf Lifesaving lifeguards' quick reactions that saved this child's life. I must add the Wilderness NSRI crew got there pretty fast themselves.
"Because of what I witnessed I'm personally echoing NSRI, lifeguards, police and the emergency services' urgent appeals to beach bathers to swim at beaches protected by lifeguards this summer season."
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