GEORGE NEWS - A 35-year-old man drowned at Victoria Bay yesterday, Wednesday 25 September. 

Two other males (20 and 15) were rescued from the sea during the same incident. All three were from the Northern Cape on a trip to the Garden Route.

When ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after 16:30, the victim was already lying on the beach with bystanders giving CPR.

"ER24 medics and members of NSRI Wilderness continued CPR and also initiated advanced life support interventions. Unfortunately, after some time, no vital signs returned and the man was declared dead," said ER24 spokesperson, Russel Meiring.

It is not clear what led to the drowning, but it is believed that the men were caught in a rip current on the eastern side of Victoria Bay.

According to NSRI Wilderness station commander, Robert van Helsdingen, bystanders helped the two other men from the water.

"On arrival at the scene we found all three casualties had been assisted out of the water by bystander. Some of the bystanders are believed to be school learners. NSRI medical crew members assisted members of the public on the beach who had initiated bystander CPR efforts on one of the male casualties," he said.

Van Helsdingen says that a male learner, believed to be from Bloemfontein, who was on the beach at the time of the incident, reportedly swam a considerable distance to help the one man while other learners, believed to be from George, rescued the second person.

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