At 16h22 (Tuesday, 15th October) NSRI Wilderness volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a person being swept out to sea by rip-currents at Wilderness Beach in front of the Wilderness sea rescue station.Torsten Henschel, NSRI Wilderness deputy station commander, said: 'Our NSRI Wilderness volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded and prepared to launch our sea rescue craft while NSRI Wilderness rescue swimmers responded directly to the beach front and the WC Government Health EMS and ER24 ambulance services responded.'On arrival on-scene the 18 year old male was found coming out of the water, onto the beach, on his own, without assistance, and fellow learners and teachers had waded in to help him out of the last few feet of water.'The casualty, a Grade 11 learner, is on a school tour with fellow learners and teachers from Klerksdorp.'It appears that the teenager was wading in shallow water when he was swept out to sea by rip currents but he managed to get back to shore without any assistance.'First Aid was administered to the teenager on the beach, by NSRI and by paramedics, and although he is in a stable and satisfactory condition he was secured onto a stretcher and brought off the beach secured onto our NSRI quad bike and he has been transported to hospital by an EMS ambulance as a precautionary measure for observation for secondary drowning and he is expected to fully recover and will most likely be released from hospital today.'The school group are staying in Mossel Bay during their school tour and NSRI Mossel Bay, in conjunction with NSRI's WaterWise Academy, have volunteered to give the school group a talk about rip currents and the sea in general and this has been welcomed by the school groups teachers.'The teenagers family (guardians) in Klerksdorp have been informed and they have been reassured of the situations positive outcome.'The school teachers involved are commended for rapidly activating sea rescue.'
