Two near drownings
NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteers were called out to 2 near drowning incidents on Saturday, August 6.
At 15:19 the NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteer duty crew responded to reports of a surf-ski paddler capsized in the Keurbooms River Mouth.
“On arrival on-scene we found a man from Port Elizabeth (in his early 50s) being swept out to sea. He was about 300 metres off-shore of Lookout Point in choppy sea swells and a 15 knot gusting wind,” explains Laurent Eray, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty coxswain.
“The man was taken aboard our sea rescue craft and his surf-ski was recovered and he was brought safely to shore. He was not injured in the incident and he required no further assistance.
“Then at 16:00 on the same afternoon, our NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteers were activated to respond to the Piesang River where reports were received of a drowning. An NSRI volunteer returning home from the previous call-out was flagged down by a pedestrian who indicated that a child was in trouble in the nearby Piesang River. The NSRI volunteer raised the alarm while responding to the scene himself.
“On arrival on-scene a two-and-a-half-year-old female toddler was found safe and sound after a family member or a bystander had managed to get her safely out of the water.
“The toddler, a local, was medically checked and treated by our NSRI doctor, Dr Sam Botha, and then transported to hospital by the Med Life ambulance in a stable condition. It was suspected that she was suffering from near drowning symptoms and she was kept in hospital overnight for observation. She has now been released from hospital after recovering fully.”
INFORMATION COURTESY OF NSRI SEA RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS.
Source: The Knysna-Plett Herald