In a dramatic rescue, a fisherman has been hailed a hero for saving the life of a local woman he reeled to safety by hooking her to his fishing line after she got caught in a rip current.
The rescue before 1am on Wednesday came before the recovery of the bodies of the two teens, believed to both be 13 years old, from the Great Kei River, approximately 20km inland of Kei River Mouth, Eastern Cape on Thursday.
National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, credited the fisherman’s quick thinking and skill for the successful rescue.
“The quick thinking and skill of a local angler, fishing along the shoreline at Dias Beach, Mossel Bay, who cast his rod, with fishing line and a Kabeljou hook attached, in the direction of a lady who was caught in rip currents while taking a midnight dip in the ocean, hooking her on her jeans and reeling her in to safety, has been commended,” said Lambinon.
The Mossel Bay duty crew were alerted to the incident at 12.57am after witnesses reported a drowning in progress at Tri Towers, Dias Beach.
Fishermen, angling from the shoreline, saw the woman in the water and one of them cast his line in her direction.
“NSRI Mossel Bay rescue swimmers, the SA Police Services, Frontier Medix ambulance services, Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services and Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Services responded. On arrival on the scene a female, age 31, was located safe on the beach.”
Lambinon detailed the rescue in which the woman was hooked by her jeans. “The Kabeljou fish hook attached onto her jeans and the fisherman was able to reel her in towards the beach, where, once she reached waist-deep water, a local fisherman waded into the water and helped her out of the water onto the beach, as NSRI and the emergency services were arriving on the scene. The local fisherman is commended for his effort that contributed to saving the lady’s life,” said Lambinon.
“She was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms by paramedics and following medical treatment she required no further assistance. It appears that the lady, from George, had launched into the water to take a swim but was caught in rip currents during the spring low tide,” said Lambinon. Attempts to locate the woman and fisherman were not successful by deadline.
Rip currents, which on average claim 56 lives each year, are “the most significant” danger to beachgoers, according to the NSRI.
The latest drowning fatalities include the two teenagers whose bodies were recovered from the Great Kei River.
“NSRI Kei Mouth had been alerted during the afternoon of 11 December of a drowning in progress on the Great Kei River. Police and Police K9 Search and Rescue attended at the scene where during ongoing search efforts, local community members reported that they had found the two children.
Police have opened inquest dockets,” Lambinon said.
A 12-year old girl had also been rescued after she disappeared under water while swimming at Morgan Bay Lagoon on Sunday, thanks to the efforts of a former NSRI lifeguard.
“Friends had run to call the Great Kei Mouth municipal lifeguards who were on duty at Morgan Bay. An eyewitness, formerly an NSRI lifeguard, had entered the water to commence a search.
“He was joined by Great Kei Mouth municipal lifeguards and they were able to quickly locate and recover the child from the water. CPR efforts commenced. Spontaneous breathing and a pulse was restored during CPR efforts,” said the NSRI. Lambinon said the child was transported to hospital in a serious condition by ambulance, in the care of paramedics, but was recovering after doctors and nurses had treated her in the ICU. “NSRI commend the swift response by all involved as well as the Morgan Bay Ratepayers Association and NSRI Lifesaving, for sponsoring the lifeguard equipment to the Great Kei River Municipal lifeguards, that was used to contribute to saving the child’s life,” he said.
Cape Times