Kalk Bay: Toddler Rescued

Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown operations controller, said: At 12h01, Saturday, 17 February, NSRI Simonstown duty crew were alerted to eyewitness reports of a child washed into the harbour, by a wave, at Kalk Bay harbour.

NSRI Simonstown duty crew responded to our NSRI Simonstown station 10 rescue base to prepare to launch rescue craft while the CoCT (City of Cape Town) water rescue network, NSRI coast watchers, NSRI rescue swimmers and CMR (Cape Medical Response) were activated.

CoCT lifeguards, nearby to Kalk Bay harbour, investigated.

It was reported by eyewitnesses that a wave that unexpectedly breached over the outer harbour pier had swept a local male toddler, in a stroller, and his dad, into the water together, while also sweeping some of the other pier pedestrians off their feet.

2 Good Samaritans, a local man, who was with his family on the pier, and a local man who works at Kalk Bay harbour, leapt into the water to assist.

The toddler, who had earlier just been unstrapped in the stroller, was kept afloat by his dad while the Good Samaritans reached them. The toddler was rescued from the water by the Good Samaritans who then assisted the dad from the water.

The stroller, and some other belongings, were recovered from the water by a third Good Samaritan, who also works at the harbour, who had also jumped in to assist.

Our NSRI Kommetjie station commander, in the area at the time on his private boat, responded into Kalk Bay harbour and docked his boat to go and check on the casualties.

By that stage we had been notified by eyewitnesses that all were safe and out of the water but medical assistance was required.

On arrival on the scene CMR paramedics initiated medical treatment to the child and to the dad. Both, in stable conditions, were transported to hospital by CMR ambulance for further care and for observation for non-fatal drowning symptoms. The dad remains in hospital for observation in the care of doctors and nurses.

The family are from Muizenberg and they regularly visit Kalk Bay.

We commend the Good Samaritans, and all of the bystanders and family members who were involved in helping, for their quick thinking to rescue the toddler and to assist the dad from the water.

The dad is commended for keeping his son’s head above water before the Good Samaritans reached them.

We commend a local lady who assisted to provide a warm jersey to the toddler.

SIMONSTOWN: NSRI STN 10 SIMONSTOWN

Andrew de Kock, NSRI Simonstown duty, said: At 15h06, Saturday, 17 February, NSRI Simonstown duty crew, while responding to an incident at Muizenberg to assist NSRI station 16 Strandfontein, where a sea kayak had washed onto rocks at Muizenberg’s Bailey’s Cottage, and while investigating reports of a Hobie-Cat suspected to be in difficulty, or capsized, off-shore of Glencairn, we were alerted by a member of the local surf-ski community reporting that he and his brother were on the scene of a fellow surf-ski who was in difficulty approximately 300 meters North of Roman Rock Lighthouse.

The surf-ski that an American man was paddling on had reportedly collided with a reef at Roman Rock Lighthouse, Castor Rock, causing the surf-ski to break in two forcing the paddler into the water. Fellow paddlers had rafted their 2 surf-skis together and were adrift with the casualty man holding onto the rafted surf-skis and they were drifting towards the cardinal marker buoy, off-shore of Simonstown.

Our duty crew launched the NSRI rescue craft Donna Nicholas.

On arrival on the scene we found one paddler on the scene assisting the casualty who was holding onto the surf-ski. The second paddler had continued paddling as the NSRI rescue craft was arriving.

The casualty man’s surf-ski was broken in two and adrift some 50 meters from them.

2 NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the water where they assisted the casualty paddler onto our rescue craft and the 2 parts of the surf-ski were recovered onto our rescue craft.

The surf-skier, that was assisting, was commended for the assistance, and he continued on his way while we brought the casualty man, in good spirits, to our NSRI Simonstown rescue base.

The 52 year old man, from Charleston, USA, was rewarmed from mild hypothermia and he required no further medical care.

Requiring no further assistance the man was collected from our rescue base by a surf-ski community member.

The Hobie-Cat that we had earlier been alerted to had been righted by her crew and they were continuing under sail, requiring no assistance.

The paddler at Muizenberg’s Bailey’s cottage was safe ashore and he was injured requiring no further assistance.