Drowning survivor recalls traumatic ordeal in Richards Bay

MEERENSEE resident Janine Liebenberg said she is still struggling to deal with the traumatic experience of almost losing her life at Palm Beach, north of Alkantstrand, last weekend.

A visibly distraught Janine was among a group of six people who were swept out to sea on Saturday afternoon.

Liebenberg, her cousin Christoffel Smith and his wife Karin van der Merwe had attempted to rescue a father, son (10) and grandfather when they were also pulled deep out to sea.

‘My cousin and his wife are from Vereeniging and were in Richards Bay for a visit, so we decided to go to the beach.

‘While we were there, a woman came running towards us saying her husband, child and father-in-law were in the water and couldn’t get out,’ she recalls.

She told the ZO on Monday that they rushed towards the beach to assist the family.

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‘My cousin managed to get to the child and handed him to me, but we were pulled in by a rip tide. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn’t get out of the water, it kept pulling us in.

‘The next moment I saw lifeguards rushing towards us and they took the child. I was given a lifebuoy which I was holding onto with my cousin’s wife, but the rope of the buoy snapped.

‘I kept saying God please help me I have two young children. And I remember my cousin’s wife telling me she can’t hold on anymore, but I kept telling her to hang on, I can’t lose her,’ Liebenberg said.

She said about 40 minutes into the ordeal, a rescue boat came in.

‘I started screaming because I was getting anxious and the lifeguard told me to remain calm, but I kept thinking about my children who were sitting on the beach with my cousin’s children watching.’

Sadly one person lost his life and the grandfather is reportedly in a critical condition in hospital.

‘I kept asking myself if we could have done more to assist them.

‘This was truly a hectic experience and I don’t think I will ever be able to go to the beach again. Even when I close my eyes, the whole incident plays out in my mind,’ she said.

She expressed her gratitude to the 12 lifeguards who responded speedily and did all they could to save their lives.

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