PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A Russian woman tourist was saved from drowning off Nature’s Valley's Main Beach on Thursday 6 February at about 18:30 after being swept 200 metres into the ocean by a rip current.
Jaco Kruger, the Plettenberg Bay NSRI commander, said his duty crew was activated following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress.
Kruger said it appeared that a group of Russian tourists, on holiday in the area, had been at the beach with a tour guide, and two Russian women in the tour group were swimming when one got caught in a rip current.
The second woman had been able to get out of the water safely.
'Kept a vigil'
"The Nature's Valley Coast Watchers had spotted a woman in the surf beyond the breakers, and they kept a vigil, marking the location by forming a line from the top of a sand dune towards the beach, to make it easier for our NSRI rescue craft to spot the female," said Kruger.
Plettenberg Bay NSRI station 14 launched its rescue craft, Courtenay's Rescuer and the Ray Farnham Rescuer, and an ER24 ambulance was also dispatched to the area.
On arrival in the area, the NSRI crew aboard Courtenay's Rescuer reached the woman, about 200m beyond the back breakers, said Kruger.
She was rescued by the crew and brought to the beach where an NSRI doctor medically assessed her, and she required no further assistance.
Kruger said: “The NSRI commends the Nature's Valley Coast Watchers for their assistance.“
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