Lodewyk van Rensburg, NSRI Oyster Bay station commander, said:At 15h45, Sunday, 14 June, NSRI Oyster Bay duty crew were activated following a request for urgent medical assistance from a local angler reporting that a fellow angler, who he had been fishing with earlier on the rocks on the Oyster Bay shoreline, a 68 year old man from Bloemfontein, had collapsed unconscious after leaving from where they had been fishing together.The man had not been feeling well and while he was walking back to his residence he collapsed unconscious.The local angler had called the NSRI emergency telephone number obtained from the information board of a nearby NSRI pink rescue buoy posted on Oyster Bay beach.Our NSRI medical crew, NSRI support crew and Private Care ambulance services were activated.On arrival on the scene we found the fisherman on the rocks on the shoreline pulseless and breathless and our NSRI medics initiated CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts which were joined by Private Care ambulance service paramedics.The patient was secured onto a stretcher and hiked to a Private Care ambulance that was parked nearby and he was transported to hospital with CPR continuing in the ambulance.An NSRI medic remained with the patient in the ambulance assisting the paramedics with CPR en route to hospital.Family of the man were transported to the hospital by NSRI.On arrival at the hospital doctors medically assessed the patient and sadly the man was declared deceased.Condolences are conveyed to family and friends. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is the charity organisation that saves lives on South African waters – both coastal and inland. Our goal is to prevent drowning through rescue operations, education and prevention initiatives.Operating from base stations along the SA coastline, and on inland dams, our rescue volunteers are on call, at all hours, every day of the year. Our rescue crew receives no payment and neither do we charge the people we rescue.We visit schools around the country, teaching children about water safety. Our drowning prevention measures include our online training academy, with free courses for crew and the public, emergency signage, Pink Rescue Buoys for emergency flotation, rescue swimmers, lifeguards, and active patrols during peak seasons.Our organisation is totally reliant on donations and sponsorships. This enables us to do the work of saving lives, changing lives, and creating futures.You can do your bit to assist. Please visit
www.nsri.org.za for more information.
SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774
