Publications
A public safety officer in Hermanus received a certificate of recognition recently, after he rescued a woman from the ocean this December. This was one of several incidents in which officers from Hermanus Public Protection were involved over the holidays.
“The HPP foot patrol officer was on duty close to the Blow Hole in Westcliff (on 30 December) when he noticed a woman floating face down in the water. He contacted the monitoring centre for urgent assistance, before taking off his uniform and jumping into the water,” explains Marius Boshoff, Hermanus Branch Manager for Fidelity ADT.
A crowd of onlookers and neighbourhood watch members waited on the shoreline and helped the officer safely get the woman out of the water. They placed her in the recovery position while waiting for emergency medical personnel and the NSRI to arrive.
“We are happy to hear that the woman was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment where she made a full recovery. I am particularly proud of our officer for his selfless action in coming to her rescue,” says Boshoff.
In other unrelated incidents, a suspect was arrested after allegedly stealing bedding items from a shop in the CBD (on 10 January). HPP officers were able to track his movement and locate him despite his efforts to blend into his surroundings and evade detection.
On Christmas Day, a suspect was detained in the Industrial Area after reportedly stealing security fixtures from a business premises in the area. His movements were picked up by HPP CCTV operators, who in turn dispatched local security officers to intervene.
And in early December, a mugging victim in Westcliff reported that his cellphone had been stolen by two unknown people. “A team of HPP vehicles and officers were deployed and the suspect was later located and detained, before he was handed over into police custody,” says Boshoff.
“I wish everyone who lives and works in our beautiful town will have a wonderful and prosperous 2023. Please work with us and Hermanus Police as we continue efforts to keep Hermanus safe this year.”
