Surfer in hospital with suspected spinal injury:

PORT EDWARD Saturday 28th January 2012.At 08h50 on Saturday 28th January the Port Edward volunteer duty crew were called out following reports of a surfer in difficulty at Port Edward Main Beach.Our duty crew were on station at the time conducting routine maintenance and they responded to the scene to find other surfers had assisted an injured surfer out of the water.The surfer, 45 year old Brett StClaire from Port Elizabeth, appears to have sustained spinal injuries after apparently being thrown off his surf board while surfing and hitting his head against rocks submerged beneath the water surface.Fellow surfers who noticed the accident went to his aid and paddled him ashore.Brett was brought to our sea rescue base and secured with full C-Spine immobilization he has been transported to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance services in a stable but serious condition.