Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown station commander, said:
At 13h20, Sunday, 02 April, NSRI Simonstown duty crew and CMR (Cape Medical Response) were activated after an NSRI Simonstown crewman, Ivan Breetzke, while walking on Seaforth Beach with family when his niece pointed out a child lying face down in the water in the surfline.
Ivan got his family to raise the alarm while he jumped into the water and recovered a 7 year old Mitchell’s Plain child from the surf.
On getting the child onto the beach Ivan started Pulmonary Resuscitation efforts and shortly into starting the medical artificial breathing efforts the child coughed up some water and started to breath spontaneously.
NSRI medics and CMR paramedics arrived on the scene and the child was stabilised before being transported to hospital by CMR ambulance in a serious but stable condition.
It is extremely fortunate that Ivan happened to be there in that moment and NSRI commend Ivan for his quick reaction.
Clifton Tragedy