Family of 3 swept out to sea are rescued

NSRI Stilbaai and brave surfers rescue a holidaying family of three swept out by rip currents at Jongensfontein. The mother, found unconscious but breathing, was revived onboard the rescue craft. The family was transported to local doctors' rooms where they are recovering.

At 13h49, Friday, 3 January, NSRI Stilbaai duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Sandstrand, Jongensfontein.

Eyewitnesses were reporting 3 persons, a family of 3, a dad, a mom and their teenage daughter, were caught in rip currents and were being swept out to sea.

NSRI Stilbaai rescue swimmers responded to the scene in our NSRI rescue vehicle while NSRI lifeguards, on duty at the swimming beach (by the Caravan Park) at Jongensfontein, some 800 meters away, also responded.

Our NSRI crew responded to our NSRI station 31 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Breede Rescuer was launched.

On our NSRI rescue vehicle arrival on the scene we found 2 surfers, males, Good Samaritans, were paddling towards the 3 casualties, who were already about 800 meters offshore.

2 NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI lifeguard, armed with torpedo rescue buoys, launched into the surf to swim out to the 3 casualties.

The 2 surfers and the 3 NSRI rescuers reached the family finding the mom to be unconscious in the water but she was breathing.

The mom was loaded onto one of the Good Samaritans surfboards while the dad and daughter held onto the second surfboard.

In the care of the NSRI rescue swimmers, the NSRI lifeguard and the 2 Good samaritans, the family were kept afloat until the NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene.

The NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene, at that stage they were 1 kilometer offshore, where the family of 3 and the 2 NSRI rescue swimmers were taken onboard the rescue craft.

The NSRI lifeguard and the 2 Good Samaritan surfers returned to the beach at Jongensfontein.

While the rescue craft was returning to our NSRI rescue base the mom regained consciousness on the boat and medical treatment for non-fatal drowning symptoms was provided.

On arrival at our NSRI rescue base ongoing medical treatment was administered when their younger daughter arrived at the base to be reunited with her family.

A Good Samaritan man, at the beach at Jongensfontein, had driven the younger daughter to our NSRI rescue base in Goodwill. The family reunion was highly emotional.

NSRI transported the family to local doctors rooms where the 3 casualties are recovering in the care of the duty doctor.

The family, who are on a holiday to Stilbaai from Brits, Gauteng, have expressed their gratitude to all involved for saving their lives.

NSRI commend the 2 surfer Good Samaritans for their efforts that contributed to saving the lives of the 3 family members, and NSRI commend the Goodwill of the Good Samaritan man who drove the distraught younger daughter to our base, from Jongensfontein, to be reunited with her family.