Heroic rescue: 78-year-old woman revived after cardiac arrest at hotel pool
The NSRI assisted a woman who fell into a hotel swimming pool after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Image: File
A 78-year-old woman is recovering in hospital today after being brought back to life by a team of heroic bystanders and rescue medics following a cardiac arrest at a luxury hotel pool.
The drama unfolded at approximately 11:18 am on Sunday, 3 May, when the local resident suffered a sudden medical emergency and fell into the hotel’s swimming pool. By the time she was pulled from the water, she was both pulseless and breathless.
By extraordinary luck, a doctor from Johannesburg and a paramedic from Hermanus were present as bystanders.. They immediately commenced Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) while the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Plettenberg Bay was alerted. NSRI medics rushed to the scene from the Station 14 rescue base, equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
The rescue effort turned into an intensive battle for the woman’s life. NSRI duty controller Geoffrey Williams confirmed that the combined efforts of the professional bystanders and the NSRI crew eventually achieved the "miraculous." During extensive CPR efforts, a pulse and spontaneous breathing were restored, Williams said.
The patient was rushed to a local hospital in a critical condition before being transferred via ambulance to a specialist medical facility in the Southern Cape. While the woman remains in a serious condition, she was described as stable upon transfer. In an update provided on Monday, hospital staff confirmed she is recovering well under the continued care of doctors and nurses.
The NSRI officially commended the visiting doctor and paramedic for their rapid intervention, which laid the groundwork for the successful resuscitation. The organisation expressed their care to the family in the hope that the patient makes a full recovery.