Melinda Snyman, NSRI St Lucia station commander, said: At 11h33, Saturday, 7 March, NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated following reports from iSimangaliso Park rangers of a drowning in progress at Cape Vidal.
NSRI crew responded to our NSRI St Lucia station 40 rescue base to prepare an NSRI rescue craft to be dispatched.
At that stage eyewitnesses reported bystanders assisting in a rescue of 2 persons appearing to be in distress in the surf zone. One of the casualties was suspected to be missing.
NSRI St Lucia were then informed that bystanders had rescued both casualties from the water and medical assistance was required.
Our NSRI St Lucia rescue vehicle, accompanied by NSRI medics, responded.
FaithMed EMS ambulance services were placed on alert.
On arrival on the scene a 54 year old male and a 59 year old female were medically assessed and provided medical care and stabilised by NSRI medics on the scene.
Both casualties were transported to St Lucia where additional medical care was provided and in consultations with Advanced Life Support paramedics both patients, recovering from their ordeal, were deemed fit and they required no further medical care.
It appears that the couple, visitors to the area, from Pretoria, were snorkelling in the water when they got into difficulties.
A tour group, nearby at the time, had noticed the couple appearing to be in distress.
2 male tour guides, from the tour group, Good Samaritans, ran to their vehicles to recover diving fins and both men launched into the surf to go to the couples assistance.
A male bystander, a Good Samaritan, had also noticed the casualties in distress and he grabbed the NSRI pink rescue buoy, that is stationed at the beach at Cape Vidal, and he had also launched into the surf to go to the assistance of the couple.
The bystander Good Samaritan, with the NSRI pink rescue buoy, reached the 54 year old male, finding him exhausted and struggling to keep his head above water. One of the tour guides, wearing diving fins, reached them and together, using the aid of the NSRI pink rescue buoy for flotation, they were able to safely rescue the man to shore where on arriving on the beach he was placed in the recovery position, displaying non-fatal drowning symptoms.
The second tour guide reached the 59 year old female and with the aid of the diving fins he successfully rescued her to the shoreline.
They were met on the beach by our responding NSRI St Lucia crew and NSRI medics.
The swift actions of the Good Samaritans, the male bystander and the 2 tour guides, is commended for their contribution that saved the lives of the couple.
Patton Digger
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Soda Delirium
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