Surfer and NSRI Save Two Lives in Port Alfred Drowning Incident

Keryn van der Walt, NSRI Port Alfred duty coxswain, said: At 15h10, Wednesday, 26 November, NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following reports by a multi-security guard, patrolling East Beach, of a drowning in progress at East Beach, Port Alfred.

NSRI rescue swimmers and our NSRI rescue vehicle, Multi-Security and Gardmed ambulance services, responded directly to the scene while our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Port Alfred station 11 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha was launched.

It was reported that there were 3 persons in distress in the surf zone, caught in rip currents while swimming.

On arrival on the scene one local male teenager, age 19, was found to have been able to get to shore safely unassisted and he was not injured.

A second local male teenager, age 19, was assisted ashore by a local male surfer, Good Samaritan, who had reached the teenager in the surf zone and was able to rescue the teenager safely to the beach using his surfboard.

That casualty was suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms. He was taken into the care of Gardmed paramedics.

A third local adult male, age 25, was still caught in rip currents and he had been swept towards the back breakers.

The NSRI rescue craft, while approaching towards the man still in distress, noticed that he was disappearing under water at the back breakers.

On the arrival of our NSRI rescue craft we were able to rescue the man onto the NSRI rescue craft and we brought him to the Beach where, in a serious condition, he was taken into the care of Gardmed paramedics.

The 25 year old man, in a serious but stable condition, and the one teenager, in a stable condition, were both transported to hospital by Gardmed ambulance, where they are recovering in the care of doctors and nurses.

They are expected to make full recoveries.

The multi-security patrol officer who raised the alarm, the swift response of NSRI, Gardmed ambulance services and the Good Samaritan surfer, is commended for contributing to saving the lives of the 2 casualties.