At 18h31, Saturday, 10 July, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following reports of 3 people being swept out into the lagoon from Calypso Beach, Langebaan.NSRI crew responded to our sea rescue base to prepare to launch sea rescue craft and NSRI rescue swimmer Nic Stevens (NSRI Mykonos deputy station commander) responded directly to the scene.When Nic Stevens arrived on the scene he found the 3 swimmers had reached rocks to the side of Calypso Beach and they were holding onto the rocks in fast fading daylight.Nic ran along rocks and waded and swam in between the rocks to reach the 3 swimmers, a father, age 37, his son, age 16, and his daughter, age 14, from Durbanville.Using a swimmers floatation aid that they had with them Nic recovered all 3 in relays, taking the female teenager first, then returning to assist the male teenager and then the father, getting all 3 safely to the shore using rocks and wading and swimming them through the water between the rocks.By that stage additional NSRI Mykonos sea rescue crew had arrived on the scene and all 3 were checked and they were not injured.It appears that they were swept away from the beach by strong currents while swimming before they managed to swim free of the currents and reach rocks that are exposed in that area at low tide.NSRI commend the swift response in getting all 3 safely to shore.
NSRI SAFETY ALERT:NSRI appeal to bathers to be aware and cautious of strong currents around the coastline.Rip currents form constantly at different places along the coastline and are a real danger to bathers.NSRI encourage the public to swim at beaches protected by lifeguards and in between the safe demarcated red and yellow lifeguard flags.We appeal to the public to be aware that during the winter months rough sea conditions close inshore can be worsened by storms bringing rough sea conditions to the coastline sometimes despite reasonably good weather on the coastline.NSRI has positioned Pink Rescue Buoys at certain beaches around our coast and we appeal to the public to only remove a Pink Rescue Buoy from its pole to be used to save the life of a person in distress in the water.If you see someone in distress in the water throw the Pink Rescue Buoy to the person, to be used for floatation, while alerting NSRI on the contact number provided on the Pink Rescue Buoy poles.We encourage the public not to physically endanger themselves by launching into the surf to try to rescue a person in distress unless you have first alerted an NSRI emergency response, are a strong swimmer trained in rescue and you have a floatation aid.If you are caught in a rip current don't panic, float, shout for help, swim at 90 degrees to the direction that you are being pulled in until you are free of the current and then use the incoming waves to reach the shore.
-ENDS-
