NSRI rescues the rescuers

2008-01-09 10:49

Jackie Pienaar-Brink

Plettenberg Bay - All four lifeguards on the main beach at Nature's Valley had to be rescued by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) at lunchtime on Tuesday, when they were swept out to sea by a strong current.

The young lifeguards, all from Mossel Bay, had gone out to help a body-boarder, who was having problems in the rough surf.

The body-boarder reached the beach without mishap with the help of Cape Town surfer Mark Derman, after a lifeguard had managed to pass a pair of flippers to him.

The lifeguards who were swept furthest into the sea, Cheslin Wicombe and Vechie Hein, were booked in for overnight observation at the Plettenberg Bay Medi-Clinic.

There was concern about Cheslin's condition in particular, because he had taken in a lot of water, but by late afternoon their overseer, Mornay du Plessis, described their condition as satisfactory.

'It was a close call'

Plettenberg Bay NSRI commander Ray Farnham said if they had not been called to help, he was sure there would have been one or more fatalities.

They sent two boats to the scene, while Glen Brown's private helicopter was used as an observation platform.

Farnham said the NSRI received the first of about 30 calls concerning the drama about noon and by 12:30 everyone had been picked up.

"We're very happy there were no drownings. It was a close call."

Lifeguard Damien Coulson, 18, said Cheslin and Vechie were first into the water to help the body-boarder.

He was at the lookout point and joined them after he had called for medical assistance.

"The next instant, they (Cheslin and Vechie) just disappeared behind the waves."

He saw the body-boarder, Mark Horsman of Grahamstown, who was relatively calm and had a surfer with him.

Their group leader, Wion Hein, Vechie's brother, also arrived at that stage and handed flippers to the body-boarder.

But, they still had two men behind the waves and they were struggling to stay afloat themselves, said Damien.

"The current was very powerful."

They eventually swam beyond the waves and awaited the NSRI.

A member of the local NSRI also swam out to them at Farnham's request and told them to stay there and not try to fight the current.

Shortly before 12:30, the first two lifeguards were spotted by the helicopter and taken aboard, followed by the other two and the NSRI member.

The first two were about 500m out to sea and a kilometre from where they initially went into the water.

Two were exhausted

Damien said he and Wion would have been able to stay afloat for a long time, although he did not know where they would have ended up.

But, Vechie and Cheslin were exhausted and he did not know how much longer they would have managed to stay afloat.

The current swept them from fourth beach to between sixth beach and seventh beach.

"We really struggled because we didn't have motorised equipment," said Damien.

"We just had one old board. A jetski would have been very handy."

- Die Burger