West Coast - Saturday 29 December 2012:

At 11h30 the Lamberts Bay auxiliary NSRI station was called out for two young men, a 17 year old from Lamberts Bay and a 22 year old from Johannesburg, who were caught in a rip current at Lamberts Bay beach in front of the Caravan park.Deputy station commander, Kevin Langeveld took his private boat Baynes to the search area as station commander Ron Selley co-ordinated a search, including activating the SAPS Boland dive unit.At 12h24 the stand down was given when it transpired that two surfers had seen the two young men being swept out to sea. The surfers had paddled out, handing one board over to the two, and using the other for their own flotation.The four then managed to paddle to shore much higher up the beach (to the north) which is where the 17 year old’s father found them. They were safe and needed no further help.The surfers, whose names are not known to NSRI, are commended for their quick thinking and for getting the two young men safely back to shore. Baynes, the private boat used in the search for the two young men at Lamberts Bay.