Gauteng dad and daughter in hospital after near-drowning at KZN beach

A Gauteng dad and daughter are recovering in hospital after being caught in rip currents while using an inflatable tube at a beach near the Caribbean Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.

NSRI Port Edward training coxswain Kyle Farrel said duty crew were alerted by eyewitnesses to two swimmers in distress shortly after 10.30am on Tuesday.

NSRI rescue swimmers, police search and rescue, local lifeguards and KwaZulu-Natal emergency services found a Benoni man, 44, and his daughter, 11, had managed to get to shore after being caught in rip currents.

“It appears the family of a dad, his sister and his two daughters, were at the beach where they were using a swimming pool blow-up inflatable tube in the surf line when the dad and one daughter were reportedly caught in rip currents.”

Eyewitnesses described how the two were dunked in the waves, sometimes losing hold of the tube before being able to get to shallow water and wade ashore. 

Farrell said two Caribbean Estate staff members raised the alarm while grabbing the NSRI pink rescue buoy to prepare to enter the water to assist, but by that time the dad and his daughter had reached the shore.

Paramedics stabilised them and took them to hospital where they will make a full recovery.

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