Paramedics spent the night with injured fisherman on inaccessible Knysna beach

Paramedics spent the night on the beach in Knysna treating an injured fisherman, after he was pinned by a boulder that rolled onto him on Saturday afternoon.

National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the 41-year-old man was searching for a good fishing spot in Knoetzie when the incident occurred.

Another fisherman, who stumbled on the man, managed to remove the boulder and went to seek help.

Lambinon said NSRI Knysna received a call from a Knoetzie resident saying a car guard had been notified by a fisherman of the angler's injury and that he needed urgent medical care.

“Neither the location nor the medical condition of the injured man was known, other than it was in the vicinity of Knoetzie.”

The fisherman who reported the incident had left the scene and the NSRI requested the car guard find the injured man and provide his exact location for a team to be dispatched.

Lambinon said paramedics and police search and rescue joined the search.

“The car attendant had then returned to the injured man with a reflective vest which he was asked to wave towards the rescue craft to help to find the location of the injured fisherman.

“At that stage the NSRI crew on-board the rescue craft spotted smoke coming from a fire that had been started by the car attendant in his efforts to attract the attention of the NSRI crew on the rescue craft.”

Lambinon said the man was at an inaccessible location and rescue swimmers had to swim with medical equipment on a floating stretcher to the shoreline.

“They then hiked along rocks to reach the injured fisherman and assessed the injured man who was at risk of the rising tide.”

The fisherman was treated for hypothermia and injuries.

“Once stabilised and secured onto a backboard he was carried away from the danger zone of the incoming tide.”

A helicopter dispatched to the scene was unable to land because of poor light and had to return to base.

Lambinon said with the darkness, barely accessible terrain, including sheer cliffs and unstable footing, it was decided conditions were too dangerous to continue carrying the injured man.

A decision was taken for two paramedics to remain with the man overnight, until he could be airlifted on Sunday morning.

The man was in a stable condition when he was taken to hospital. 

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