Donate Shop Call for Help Now Find a Base

NSRI EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTRE (EOC)

087 094 9774

On Wednesday, 5 January 2022, just after 18h00 two young men were swept out of the main beach tidal pool in front of the Jongensfontein camping area by a rip current. They were pulled into an extremely dangerous situation where they could not swim back into the tidal pool and risked being washed against the rocks. It was clear that they were rapidly tiring.

A number of people on the beach noticed that the two teenagers were in difficulty and when one of the swimmers waved an arm, indicating that they needed assistance, three sixteen year old friends ran to their tent to get their fins and their body boards to go and help.

The lifeguards had left the beach for the day as their duty was finished, and were not available.

The three youngsters - Louis Fourie, Evert Bouwer and Gerrit de Vos, all sixteen years old, had the forethought to take an extra body board with them as well as a lifeguard’s torpedo buoy and the Pink Rescue Buoy 31-07 which was sponsored by FEM.

They quickly reached the two swimmers who were exhausted. The Pink Rescue Buoy and body board was used to help the two float and regain their strength.

Without the bravery of these three young men, the two swimmers (both approximately 14 years old) may have drowned.

The rescue was well planned and the three rescuers made sure that they had ample flotation for themselves and for the two who were in difficulty. The rapid response with ample emergency flotation saved two lives without risking the lives of the rescuers. This is highly commendable.

The Pink Rescue Buoy, which helped one boy to float means that the Pink Buoys have been used to save 91 lives that we know of at the date of writing.

Image by:Jean-Pierre Pitout.

Next Article

Horses assisted to safety through the flooded Orange River

Read More

You may also like

Hartbeespoort
RESCUES  | Published: 10 February 2025

NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam – Body located and recovered

Arthur Crewe, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam station commander, said: During ongoing search operations on Tuesday morning Police divers, assisted by NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam, Hartbeespoort SRU (Strategic Rescue Unit) and Hartbeespoort Marine Law Enforcement, located and recovered the body of a local ...

NSRI Shelly Beach Spirit of Dawn 0741
RESCUES  | Published: 3 February 2025

Search continues for missing teen after tragic drowning at Umzumbe in KZN

Police divers are continuing in an ongoing search for a missing local male teenager at Umzumbe, KZN South Coast, where a man lost his life and a man has been hospitalised, family members, in a tragedy on Saturday. ...

IMG 7838
RESCUES  | Published: 29 January 2025

Sailing Yachts Drift Ashore at Clifton 4th Beach

A sailing yacht run aground at Clifton 4th Beach is recovered safely, while a second sailing yacht self recovers after drifting into shallow water at Clifton 4th Beach. ...