Surfing legend Heather Clark recently put her lifesaving skills to the test.
Heather was hosting a surf lesson at St Mike’s beach on Monday this week when it was brought to her attention that a man was caught in a nasty rip current.
She grabbed her surfboard and paddled out towards the man, who was struggling badly in the water, which was choppy and brown.
“He was about a metre in front of me when I saw him go under the water. But as I got to him his head, luckily popped up again. I pushed my board towards him and he clung on. I’ve never heard anyone pray so hard,” she said.
By then the lifeguards had managed to get to Heather to assist her.
However, the swimmer had ‘frozen’ onto Heather’s surfboard and they could not unclasp his fingers in order to move him onto the lifesavers’ rescue board.
So, it was decided that the lifesavers take the man to shore on Heather’s surfboard – and she returned safely on the lifesaver’s board.
“Ironically, I was thinking of cancelling the surf lesson as the conditions weren’t great, but I’m glad I didn’t as I would never have been able to save this man and it wouldn’t have ended well for him,” she said.
It wasn’t the first rescue of the week either.
During the recent Ugu Surfriders trials last weekend, Heather also jumped in and helped rescue a little girl who was caught in the rip.
This time she had the help of another surfer, but still, it was a close call.
These incidents, combined with a brave rescue by Lee Maree of a struggler bather recently, have highlighted once again how much respect one needs to pay the ocean.
There have been too many drownings of late and in general, bathers are urged to swim at beaches where lifeguards are available and also to take great care in and around water, be it the sea, tidal pools or swimming pools at home.
What Heather and Lee have in common is that both were Nippers and part of lifesaving clubs as youngsters.
This is something that is being revived with Umtamvuna SLC up and running and hopes that Saints will re-open again in due course.
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