Jan Hoffman, NSRI St Lucia deputy station commander, said: At 08h15, Monday, 5 January, NSRI St Lucia station commander Melinda Snyman received an emergency call from a family member of 4 men reporting that she was witnessing her family members, the 4 men, capsized on their boat in the surf zone at Cape Vidal Beach.
The alarm was raised and NSRI St Lucia duty crew responded to the NSRI St Lucia station 40 rescue base where they dispatched the NSRI rescue vehicle towing the NSRI rescue craft JetRIB.
The SA Police Services were alerted.
On arrival on the scene we found all 4 men and the casualty boat were safely ashore.
The 4 men were medically treated for injuries. 2 men were transported to hospital by private transport for further medical care.
Local anglers assisted to recover the casualty boat onto her trailer and no further assistance was required.
Then at 12h45 iSimangaliso lifeguards reported a drowning in progress at Jabula Beach.
Lifeguards had entered the water, armed with an NSRI pink rescue buoy, to go to the assistance of an adult man and a male child caught in rip currents.
NSRI St Lucia duty crew dispatched our NSRI rescue vehicle towing our NSRI St Lucia rescue craft JetRIB to the scene.
Police Search and Rescue, who were in the area at the time, conducting ongoing search efforts for the missing man from the earlier incident on the 2nd January, also responded to Jabula Beach.
KZN Government Health EMS were activated.
On arrival on the scene 2 casualties, an 8 year old male and his uncle, an adult male, locals, were found safely ashore.
They had both been rescued by the iSimangaliso lifeguards who had used an NSRI pink rescue buoy to successfully rescue both casualties caught in rip currents in the surf zone.
The uncle was not injured but the 8 year old was suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms.
NSRI medics and Police Search and Rescue paramedics administered medical treatment to the child who was stabilised on the beach before being transported to hospital by EMS ambulance.
The child is expected to make a full recovery.
iSimangaliso lifeguards are commended for the swift response and for utilising the NSRI pink rescue buoy, and the swift response and the assistance of Police Search and Rescue, NSRI St Lucia and EMS is commended.
Firedog
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Nightdream
I told my dad to embrace his mistakes. He cried, then he hugged me and my sister