Good Samaritans Commended for Saving Two Women at Shark Bay, Langebaan

Nic Stevens, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said: At 15h22, Saturday, 11 October, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Shark Bay, Langebaan Lagoon.

NSRI rescue swimmers and NSRI medics, West Coast Medical Rescue, Atlantic Medical Response and WC Government Health EMS responded.

While responding to the scene it was confirmed that 2 females had been rescued from the water by Good Samaritans, on a local fishing boat, with a member of Langebaan Yacht Club, and by a Good Samaritan on a canoe.

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts were in progress on one of the rescued females.

On arrival on the scene the bystander CPR efforts had managed to restore a pulse to the female, age 33, from Bryanston, Johannesburg.

Paramedics continued with resuscitation efforts, transporting the 33 year old female to hospital, in a critical condition, in a West Coast Medical Rescue ambulance. She is recovering in hospital in the care of doctors and nurses.

Her friend, age 33, from Hillcrest, Kwa-Zulu Natal, was transported to hospital, in a West Coast Medical Rescue ambulance, in a stable condition. She has made a full recovery.
 
It appears that the 2 ladies had rented a double kayak and may have been swimming and wading in shallow water at the kayak when we believe they got into difficulties in the water.

Residents, at Shark Bay, had noticed the 2 ladies in distress and while one resident launched a canoe, to assist, other residents shouted and indicated towards a local boat that was nearby - raising the alarm, while phoning NSRI.

Residents of Shark Bay had also waded into the water to go to assist.

The Good Samaritan man, on the canoe, Johan Nortjé, from Bothasig, reached one of the ladies rescuing her, while the boat, skippered by a Langebaan Yacht Club member, a male age 52, from Brackenfell, and his 18 year old nephew, (who had been on their way to pump prawns before going fishing) reached the second lady, who was found to be lifeless and head down in the water, where they were able to rescue her onto their boat before then taking the second lady, (from KZN) from Johan (at the canoe), taking her onto their boat as well.

The 33 year old Johannesburg female was found to be pulseless and breathless.

They motored the boat towards the Shark Bay residents, who had waded into the water, where a husband and wife, Bernard and Petro Pieters, Good Samaritans, from Brackenfell, boarded the boat and they initiated CPR on the female.

The boat was brought to the Langebaan Yacht Club slipway, with CPR efforts in progress, where additional bystanders assisted Bernard and Petro with the CPR efforts and a pulse was restored.

They were joined on the scene by paramedics and by NSRI Mykonos members where both ladies were then transported to hospital in West Coast Medical Rescue ambulances.

NSRI commend the skipper and crew on the boat that assisted, as well as Johan Nortjé , on his canoe, Bernard and Petro Pieters, who initiated CPR, all Good Samaritans, for their swift response and for their efforts as well as the bystanders and eyewitnesses that raised the alarm and who assisted.

We are also commending the locals at Shark Bay who are assisting the 2 ladies following this ordeal.

We are all wishing the Johannesburg lady a swift recovery and our thoughts, care and compassion, are with her, her friend, and their families.