KNYSNA NEWS - A sand castle builder on Brenton-on-Sea main beach has been lauded for his swift reaction that saved a father and daughter from drowning, after they were caught in a rip current on Saturday 6 December.
Innocent Zungu, a regular at the beach, said while at the ablution block on Brenton beach he heard a law enforcement official shouting that "someone is drowning".
Without hesitation he rushed onto the beach and saw two people in trouble.
"I grabbed an (NSRI) Pink Buoy and just dived into the water," said Zungu, who has grown up with the sea and beach as part of his life in St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal.
He reached the girl first and heard the man say: "Save the girl, save the girl."
The casualties were a man and his daughter, Chris van Eck (45) and Nina (15), from Limpopo.
He handed Nina the rope of the Pink Buoy and then swam towards Chris, with Nina and the buoy in tow. He said he could see Chris was very tired as he had been trying hard to get his daughter out.
Beautiful conversation
Zungu grabbed him and they all clung to the buoy. "We then had this very beautiful conversation between all of us. I told them, guys, listen, there's no way to fight the rip. Let it take its course. What you need to do is flip forward and then just relax. The tide is going to take us out shortly. We're going to make this. We're going to make it out."
Zungu guided them towards the breakers where he told them to hang on and they surged forward. Eventually they could stand on the ocean floor - and the rest of the rescue team arrived.
Asked about what motivated his response, Zungu said: "I did what I had to do".
Innocent Zungu points to the exact sport on Brenton-on-Sea main beach where Chris van Eck and his daughter, Nina, were swept out to sea by a rip tide. Photo: Chris van Gass
Chris and Nina visited Zungu at his sand sculpture on Brenton beach on Sunday to thank him. They said it was important that more people are made aware of the NSRI pink rescue buoys. "If Innocent had not been there and knowing how to use the buoy, things might have turned out differently."
The Van Eck family expressed their grate-fulness to Zungu, who said he was "sent from Above".
Commended
His own story is interesting as he grew up on the beach and observed how lifesavers operated.
"He is a strong swimmer and knew exactly what to do: how to work with the current - and how to remain calm," said the Van Ecks.
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, commended Zungu for his efforts. Simonis said in a statement that NSRI Pink Rescue Buoys, launched by NSRI in co-operation with municipalities and the public in 2017, are now responsible for 228 lives saved.
"No harm has come to a Good Samaritan using an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy during the execution of a bystander water rescue," said Simonis.
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