JC Roos, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said:
At 19h59, Thursday, 26 December, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress in the surf zone at Gleniqua, near to Glentana Beach.
The NSRI rescue craft St Blaise Rescuer was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers, our NSRI rescue vehicle, Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Services, the SA Police Services, Police Sea Borderline Control, who launched a Police boat, and ER24 ambulance services responded.
It appears that a (believed to be aged) 6 year old male child and the child’s uncle, age 24, both from Johannesburg, were on a sandbank in shallow water when the man reportedly stepped off the sandbank and he was caught in rip currents and he was swept out to sea.
On arrival on the scene it was found that the child was safe on the beach after being rescued out of the water by a Good Samaritan man, and the child was not injured.
An NSRI Mossel Bay rescue swimmer (from NSRI Gauteng, who volunteers for NSRI Mossel Bay on an annual holiday to Glentana), a Fire and Rescue Services rescue swimmer and the Good Samaritan man, all launched into the surf, swimming in the direction of where eyewitnesses pointed out the casualty man in the water in the surf zone.
They reached the casualty man who was unresponsive in the water and together they rescued him to shore where CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts were commenced.
After all efforts by paramedics to resuscitate the man were exhausted sadly he was declared deceased.
The body of the man has been taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
Police have opened an Inquest docket.
The Good Samaritan man is commended for assisting.
Condolences are conveyed to the family and friends of the deceased man.
Are Ess Tee
These days, the pizza arrives before the police.
Psycho Thinker
Be careful of the man who stays calm and smiles in a crisis for he has already found someone to put the fault on.