A 63-year-old holidaymaker who was rescued from the sea at Shelly Beach by three Good Samaritans, sadly died.
NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew responded to reports of a drowning in progress close to Shelly Beach Sunny Evans Ski-boat Club on Monday this week.
The crew together with KwaZulu Private Ambulance Services, Saps and K9 Search and Rescue unit responded.
On arrival on the scene, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts were in progress on the man by the bystander on holiday from Mount Frere, Eastern Cape.
Craig Lambinon, NSRI spokesperson, said their medics with KwaZulu Private Ambulance paramedics continued with CPR.
“After all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted, he was sadly declared deceased.”
Lambinon explained what had unfolded in an extraordinary attempt to save the man’s life:
Friends, Willie and Riana Pieterse from Scottburgh, and Piet and Cecilia Bezuidenhoudt from Thabazimbi, and their families were leaving their holiday home to go to a restaurant when they heard a woman shouting for help.
“Realising a drowning was in progress, Willie, his son Nico and Piet, launched into the water to help the man who had disappeared under.”
Willie had a bodyboard with him.
Cecilia raised the alarm calling NSRI and the emergency services while Riana comforted the man’s wife and children.
Then, fishermen from the ski-boat club grabbed life-jackets from their ski-boat and gave them to Piet and Nico who had reached where the man had gone underwater.
Piet and Nico were able to rescue the man and brought him to Willie, who was nearby on the bodyboard.
They then used the bodyboard and the life-jackets to get the man to shore.
Once on the shore, Willie, who is an advanced commercial diver initiated CPR. He was joined by NSRI and paramedics.
“We commend everyone for their combined efforts to save the man’s life,” said Lambinon.
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