Good Samaritans rescued a father and son caught in strong rip currents at the weekend in the 200th successful bystander rescue using a pink rescue buoy.
The drama started when two teenagers, a male and female, got caught in rip currents while swimming at Clovelly in Cape Town, where their families were having a beach picnic.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Simon's Town duty controller Darren Zimmerman said they and Cape Medical Response responded to reports of a non-fatal drowning on Saturday afternoon.
“The father of the girl launched into the water and he was able to rescue his daughter safely to the beach. They were not injured,” said Zimmerman.
“The father of the boy had also launched into the water to go after his son, but both of them remained caught in rip currents and they were both in distress.
“Local residents living across the road at Clovelly noticed the commotion. A father and his son sprang into action to go to try to help.
“They ran across the road and over the railway line to get to the beach where the son, armed with his personal body board, and his dad, who had grabbed hold of the NSRI pink rescue buoy stationed at the beach at Clovelly corner, swam out to sea and reached the casualty father and his son at the backline breakers.”
The pair were rescued, treated by paramedics and transported to hospital for medical treatment and observation for non-fatal drowning symptoms.
“The Good Samaritan father and son are commended for saving the lives of the two casualties. This is the 200th successful bystander rescue using an NSRI pink rescue buoy, that we know of, since the inception of the NSRI pink rescue buoy programme launched in 2017. The dad who rescued his daughter is commended for his efforts,” said Zimmerman.
TimesLIVE
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