Ettiene van Gent, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station 37 Lifesaving Unit Captain, said:
At approximately 17h05 on Monday, 17th September, our NSRI Jeffreys Bay Lifesaving lifeguards, having completed a routine training exercise at Pellsrus Beach, we noticed a commotion on the beach front and went to investigate.
A crowd had gathered and were raising concerns and attempting to encourage a man to safety. While sitting on rocks close to the waters edge the man had entered the surf and he appeared to be out of his depth and in difficulties.Myself and NSRI lifeguard Luzuko Mkubeni went into the surf while our NSRI trainee lifeguard, Craig Sampson, ran to the NSRI station to fetch finns and a rescue torpedo buoy and to raise the alarm.
Myself and Luzuko were able to reach the man in the surfline and bring him safely to the shore. By that stage the SA Police Services patrol officers had arrived on the scene.
The casualty, a local adult male aged in his mid 20’s, was not injured and was taken into the care of the Police officers. He has been reunited with his family who also arrived on the scene and no further assistance was required.
It was a coincidence that we where there at that moment having earlier changed plans from training at the Marina to rather training at the beach. We commend the members of the public who raised the alarm on the beach, alerting us to this incident.
TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE
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