Man injured, nearly drowns in freak Alkantstrand accident
The man sustained serious spinal injuries and nearly drowned after hitting his head on a sand bank
A 31-year-old man swimming at Alkantstrand in Richards Bay is lucky to be alive after a freak accident nearly caused him to drown and leaving him with severe spinal injuries.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said paramedics received a call about the near drowning at around 4pm on Sunday afternoon.
‘Reports from the scene indicate that the man ran into the sea and tried to dive through a wave,’ said Botha.
‘He then hit his head against a sand bank.’
When the man did not surface, vigilant lifeguards rushed to his aid, managing to pull him out of the water.
‘Paramedics arrived at the scene and found that the lifeguards had immobilised the patient on a trauma board,’ continued Botha.
‘The 31-year-old-man was found in a critical condition with severe spinal injuries.’
He was stabilised on scene before being taken to hospital for further care.
In a seperate incident at Pelican Island over the weekend, two young boys drowned and their bodies were recovered on Sunday afternoon.
