Port Edward – Fatal Drowning

Tokkie Livingstone, NSRI Port Edward deputy station commander, said:

At 12h35, Friday, 13 October, NSRI Port Edward duty crew were activated following reports of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts in progress at TO Strand, Main Beach, Port Edward.

NSRI Port Edward, medics and rescue swimmers, responded in their private vehicles while Medi-Vac ambulance services and the SA Police Services responded.

On arrival on the scene it was found that CPR were being performed on a 39 year old female, from Witbank, by friends which included a doctor, believed to be the partner of the casualty.

NSRI medics and Med-Evac paramedics continued with CPR on the female.

After all efforts to resuscitate the female were exhausted sadly she was declared deceased.

The body of the female was taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Police have opened an Inquest docket.

It appears that a friend had attempted to rescue the female from the water after she may have been caught in rip currents but the friend had returned to the shore when a second friend went into the surf and was able to rescue the lady to the shore where friends and a partner had initiated CPR efforts and they raised the alarm.

It is believed that the deceased was attending a National karate training camp from Mpumalanga.

MARGATE:

Gary Wolmarans, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said: At 15h45, Sunday, 15 October, the NSRI Shelly Beach rescue craft Spirit of Dawn was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers, Netcare 911 ambulance services, Med-Evac ambulance services, SA Police Services, Simunye lifeguards and Police Search and Rescue responded following reports of a drowning in progress at Margate tidal pool, South of Margate Main Beach.

It appears that a woman had been swept out of the tidal pool into the sea.

Unrelated bathers, a group of friends, who were in the tidal pool, were witnessing the lady who was in distress when one of their friends, a man, age 30, from Pietermaritzburg, was swept out to sea after waves breached the tidal pool and he had disappeared.

The female was rescued onto the beach where a Good Samaritan, JJ Spannenberg, a local man, had initiated bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts on the female and he was able to restore spontaneous breathing and a pulse to the female.

He was joined by Netcare 911 paramedics and then by Med-Evac ambulance services paramedics who continued with medical treatment to the female.

The female was transported to hospital in a stable but serious condition by Med-Evac ambulance.

An extensive sea and shoreline search has revealed no signs of the missing man.

Police Search and Rescue are continuing in an ongoing search for the missing man.

Thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time.