KNYSNA - A holiday outing nearly turned tragic when a father and daughter were swept into rip currents at Brenton-on-Sea Main Beach yesterday afternoon, 6 December.
Thanks to the swift response of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and the heroic actions of a local sandcastle builder, both survived.
At 13:15, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of two people in distress in the surf zone. Off-duty NSRI lifeguards and rescue swimmers rushed directly to the beach while rescue craft JayTee IV and Katharine were launched. Emergency services, including the SAPS, Police Water Policing and Diving Services, ER24 and Western Cape Government Health EMS, also responded.
Upon arrival, NSRI rescue swimmers entered the water and made their way to shore with medical equipment.
They found the two casualties, a 45-year-old father and his 17-year-old daughter visiting from Limpopo, already on the beach after being pulled from the surf by a Good Samaritan.
The rescuer, a sandcastle contractor working on the beach at the time, immediately grabbed the NSRI pink rescue buoy stationed nearby when he noticed the pair struggling in the strong rip currents.
Without hesitation, he launched into the surf and brought both safely back to shore. He has been commended for his decisive and courageous actions.
The father was semi-conscious and suffering from non-fatal drowning symptoms. An NSRI doctor, medics, and responding paramedics stabilised him before he was transported to hospital by ER24 in serious but stable condition. He is continuing his recovery under medical care. His daughter was uninjured.
The NSRI extended its thoughts to the family, and expressed gratitude for the brave intervention of the bystander rescuer. The organisation also highlighted the effectiveness of the pink rescue buoy programme, launched in 2017 in cooperation with municipalities and the public. To date, 228 lives have been saved using these buoys without harm to any Good Samaritan rescuer.
The incident comes as Knysna Municipality urges beachgoers to exercise caution ahead of peak spring tides, which bring stronger rip currents and unpredictable sea conditions.
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