PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay rescue workers had their hands full this festive season ensuring the safety of visitors and locals.
While most efforts were successful, tragedy struck on Saturday January 6 when a five-year-old boy drowned in a local hotel swimming pool.
At about 18:30 the local NSRI duty crew received a call that child was found unresponsive in the Beacon Island swimming pool.
National NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said children playing in the pool at the time had noticed something under the water and upon closer inspection realised that it was a young child.
The children managed get the young boy to the pool’s edge where bystanders immediately initiated CPR while they waited for help to arrive.
Lambinon said the NSRI medical crew, who carry advance life support kits in their vehicles, responded and arrived on the scene within minutes. An emergency room trauma nurse from the local MediClinic, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, was nearby and also responded. Medlife ambulance services were also activated.
“On arrival NSRI medics and the ER trauma nurse, took over CPR from the bystanders, and CPR efforts were assisted by a doctor, who was at the hotel at the time, and joined by Medlife paramedics on their arrival,” Lambinon said.
He added while CPR efforts continued, the child was transported to hospital by ambulance. Doctors continued with resuscitation efforts in hospital, but after all efforts were exhausted, the child was declared deceased.
Lambinon said police had opened an inquest docket.
Trauma counsellors attended to family of the child. His mother is believed to be a local salon employee.
Lambinon commended the children and the bystanders who initiated CPR for their efforts.
The previous day NSRI volunteers responded to reports of 50-year-old Dutch tourist who had suffered a suspected heart attack at the Robberg Nature Reserve.
Lambinon said NSRI medics responded on land and by sea. An NSRI doctor was onboard and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter was also activated.
When they arrived, the woman, who was undertaking a hike with her husband and was swimming at West Beach, was found in a critical condition.
“Members of the public were attending to the female providing first aid. They raised the alarm and remained on-site supporting and assisting the NSRI.”
“During medical treatment on the beach the tourist went into cardiac arrest twice. On both occasions extensive CPR efforts and heart defibrillation restored her heart beat and spontaneous breathing.
Once stabilised, she was airlifted to a George hospital and then transferred to Mossel Bay for further treatment.
On New Year’s day local NSRI paramedics responded to a hotel in the Keurbooms area where a 50-year-old local man suffered a suspected heart attack.
NSRI medics and duty doctor treated the man on the scene after which Western Cape government health EMS and Medlife ambulance services responded and transported him to hospital in a stable condition.
On December 27, 2017 volunteers responded to a call about a Chinese tourist who had been separated from his daughter while hiking the Robberg Nature Reserve trail.
Volunteers guided the man, telephonically, to the reserve’s parking area where he was reunited with his daughter.
At 14:24 on the same day the local NSRI medical crew treated a 29-year-old Argentinian man who had suffered a dislocated shoulder while body surfing near the NSRI rescue base. He was transported to hospital for further treatment and released shortly thereafter.
Just after 17:45pm the NSRI launched a search for an elderly man who had been separated from a group of four people who were hiking from Keurbooms to Nature’s Valley. During search efforts the man arrived at Forest Hall and was reunited with the group.
On December 23, 2017 the NSRI medical crew responded to reports of an 18-year-old suffering chest pains at a local petrol station. Plett NSRI station commander Marc Rodgers said the youngster was stablised and an ambulance transported him to hospital for further treatment.
Just after 17:00 the same day NSRI volunteers and Plett lifeguards launched a search for family of a five-year-old girl who had been found alone on Robberg 5 beach. The family members were found on Solar Beach and reunited with the young girl.
Rodgers said on December 22 the NSRI medical crew assisted with rescue efforts following a motor vehicle accident in a residential of Plett.
An Ethiopan man was treated for injuries on the scene and was transported to hospital by ambulance in a stable condition.
ARTICLE: YOLANDE STANDER
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