WATCH: Two students rescued from the ‘grip of the rip’

A Friday afternoon swim at Silver Beach in Port Edward turned into a harrowing ordeal for two male students… Thanks to local rescue services, tragedy was avoided.

TGIF! That’s what most people think when they head to the beach on a Friday afternoon. Yet for two male students, who decided to take a dip at Silver Beach in Port Edward on Friday 19 January, their leisurely start to the weekend would turn into a harrowing ordeal.

“That day, a newly formed sandbank caused the currents to shift with the tide, creating a rip current,” says NSRI station commander for Port Edward, Gert du Plessis.

Unaware of the danger, the students entered the water, and found they could not return to shore.

Thankfully, the pair were spotted by Simunye Surf Lifesaving lifeguards, who swiftly alerted local rescue services, including the NSRI. Port Edward duty crew dispatched their quad bike and rescue vehicle, along with rescue swimmers, and also launched their JetRIB.

“By the time we arrived on the scene, one swimmer had already been rescued by the lifeguards,” says Gert. “But two lifeguards, as well as the remaining swimmer, a 20-year-old man, were still about 200 meters off-shore.”

Thankfully, Gert and his crew reached them in the breaking surf line aboard the JetRIB, and the student was pulled aboard the rescue craft, along with one lifeguard, as there was not enough space for all three. After bringing the student to shore, where he was attended to by ambulance services, the JetRIB returned to collect the final lifeguard.

“Rip currents are a real danger,” says Gert. “A week before that, we rescued a father and son from a rip in the same location. Umtamvuna River mouth, just south of Port Edward, as well as Leisure Bay beach, are also drowning hotspots thanks to rip currents.”

No one ever imagines they’ll get caught in a rip current – in fact, most people are unaware of the existence or danger of rip currents, let alone how to spot and avoid them…. Which is why being educated about them is so important.

Signs of a rip current:

Water through a surf zone that is a different colour to the surrounding water.

A change in the incoming pattern of waves (often the waves are not breaking in a rip channel).

Seaweed, sand ‘clouds’ or debris moving out to the backline where waves are forming through the surf zone.

Turbulent or choppy water in the surf zone in a channel or river like shape flowing away from the beach.

How to survive a rip current:

As with all risks, avoiding rip currents altogether is the safest strategy. To do this, swim at a beach where lifeguards are on duty and swim between their flags.

If you do get caught in one, here’s what to do:

Stay calm and force yourself to relax.

Swim slowly and conservatively at 90 degrees to the direction that you are being carried in (do not fight or try to swim against the current), or relax and let it carry you out past the breakers until it slacks.

So long as you can float, you will be safe until you can escape the current by swimming to the side (out of it) and then back to the beach. Be sure to maintain a slow and relaxed pace until you reach the shore or assistance arrives.

Learn more about rip currents here.