Surfer Injured

Ian Klopper, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said:At 12h11, Tuesday, 07th August, NSRI Kommetjie duty crew were activated following reports of a surfer injured while surfing off-shore of Long Beach, Kommetjie, at Sunset Reef.Our sea rescue vehicle responded directly to the scene with NSRI medics while our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Kommetjie station to prepare to launch sea rescue craft.On arrival on the scene a 22 year old male surfer, from Sweden, now living in Kommetjie, was found to already be on the beach.Our sea rescue craft was not launched and additional NSRI shore crew responded to the scene and while our NSRI medics treated the surfer CMR (Cape Medical Response) ambulance services were activated.The surfer had been surfing with 2 friends at Sunset Reef, approximately 400 meters off-shore of Long Beach, in 15 to 20 foot waves, when the surfer was reportedly knocked off his surf board while riding a wave and suffering injuries to his lower back.His 2 friends assisted him out of the water by swimming him to the beach where the alarm was raised.The 2 fellow surfers immobilised the injured surfers C-Spine on the beach while waiting for NSRI and the emergency services.Our NSRI medics treated the injured surfer for lower back injuries and full cervical spine immobilisation was applied as a precaution.Our NSRI medics were joined on the scene by CMR paramedics who assisted NSRI medics in stabilising the patient.Secured to a spinal immobilisation board the surfer was loaded onto our NSRI sea rescue vehicle and transported across the beach to the car park where he was transferred into a CMR ambulance and transported to hospital by CMR ambulance in a stable condition.NSRI are informed by CMR ambulance services that following further treatment in hospital the patient has been confirmed to have suffered no fractures and he will be kept overnight in hospital for observation as a precaution.NSRI commend the 2 local fellow surfers who assisted the injured surfer out of the surf.