Scelo Cele (34) is no stranger to the sea. So, when he saw a bather shouting for help at the launch site in Shelly Beach on Tuesday last week – he didn’t hesitate to jump in to help.
In fact, he is the Launch Site Controller at Shelly Beach control tower, and during his colourful career, he has worked as a lifeguard and for the KZN Sharks Board.
In his spare time, Cele also doesn’t do too badly in spearfishing.
“I had just finished my duties at the control tower at about 10:00. I was about to go home, but something told me to hang around,” he said.
That’s when he spotted a bather in the water, shouting for help.
Cele didn’t think twice and immediately grabbed the yellow torpedo buoy, ran into the water, and began to swim out to sea to save the drowning man.
“As I got to him, he disappeared under the water. So, I managed to pull him up and onto the buoy. His body had started to stiffen, but I managed to get him back to shore,” he said.
Once on shore, the man was treated by paramedics.
“I am not ‘swim fit’ and a little out of practise, but it felt good to save a life,” he said, chuckling.
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