Jeffreys Bay – Thursday, 02 July. Windsurfer assisted by surfers and bystanders:

Paul van Jaarsveld, NSRI Jeffreys Bay deputy station commander, said:At 16h23, Thursday, 2 July, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty controllers received multiple phone calls from concerned members of public reporting a windsurfer appearing to be in trouble in the surf offshore between the Boneyards and Magna Tubes surf locations.Our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI sea rescue base with the intention to launch our sea rescue craft Project Group Rescuer.While preparing to launch our sea rescue craft we were informed by eye-witnesses that surfers had intervened and they had assisted the windsurfer safely to the beach.Bystanders on the beach had also stepped in to help the man out the water as the surfers got him to the beach.NSRI crew responded in our NSRI sea rescue vehicle and on arrival on the scene found the windsurfer, a local man aged in his mid sixties, safe on the beach in good health and in good spirits and he required no further assistance.It appears that he may have been caught in strong winds which led to him swimming back towards the shore with his board and sail raising the concerns of eye-witnesses before the surfers reached him and assisted him.NSRI commend the concerned members of public who raised the alarm and who kept NSRI duty controllers updated of developments as they progressed.NSRI commend the surfers and bystanders who assisted the windsurfer to get out of the water safely.