At 13h34, Friday, 13 March, NSRI Kommetjie duty crew, NSRI Hout Bay duty crew and the CoCT (City of Cape Town) water rescue network were activated following eyewitness reports of 2 teenagers appearing to be in distress in the surf zone at Kommetjie Beach, between Sunset Reef and Long Beach.
An eyewitness contacted NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) and the alarm was raised.
NSRI rescue swimmers, CMR (Cape Medical Response) and TMNP (Table Mountain National Park) rangers responded while NSRI Hout Bay duty crew responded to the NSRI Hout Bay station 8 rescue base and prepared to launch an NSRI rescue craft JetRIB.
On NSRI rescue swimmers and CMR paramedics arriving on the scene it was found that 2 local teenagers, ages 17 and 16, were safe on the beach after being rescued by Good Samaritans.
They were medically assessed by paramedics and they required no further assistance.
Good Samaritan Dylan Rattray, age 24, from Kommetjie, while working at his coffee stand at Kommetjie Beach, was drawn to a commotion on the beach where eyewitness bystanders were indicating 2 young males appearing to be in distress in the water.
The local food shop owner was attempting to call NSRI to raise the alarm while an unidentified male Good Samaritan had grabbed an NSRI pink rescue buoy, from its pole at Kommetjie Beach, and he was wading into the water towards the 2 teenagers – who by that stage could clearly be seen to be in distress appearing to be caught in rip currents.
Good Samaritan Dylan grabbed a second NSRI pink rescue buoy, from its pole at Kommetjie Beach, and he entered the water to go to the teenagers assistance.
Dylan, armed with one NSRI pink rescue buoy, took the second NSRI pink rescue buoy from the man, who was by that stage wading waist deep in the water.
Armed with both NSRI pink rescue buoys Dylan swam towards the 2 teenagers where he handed a pink rescue buoy to the 17 year old.
The 17 year old casualty used the floatation of the pink rescue buoy to get towards the shoreline where the unidentified Good Samaritan man helped the 17 year old to the beach.
Armed with the second NSRI pink rescue buoy Dylan reached the second teenager, in the surf zone, and using the NSRI pink rescue buoy for floatation, Dylan rescued the 16 year old safely to the beach – helped by the male unidentified Good Samaritan once they reached waist deep water.
They were met on the beach by NSRI rescue swimmers and CMR paramedics.
NSRI commend Good Samaritan Dylan Rattray and the unidentified male Good Samaritan, who assisted, for their efforts that contributed to saving the lives of the 2 teenagers.
NSRI pink rescue buoys are responsible for contributing to 256 lives saved by bystander Good Samaritan rescues using NSRI pink rescue buoys in bystander rescues – since the inception of the NSRI pink rescue buoy program in 2017.
No harm has come to bystanders using the NSRI pink rescue buoys in these bystander Good Samaritan rescues.
NSRI appeal to the public to help us to safeguard the NSRI pink rescue buoys that are stationed around the coastline and that should only be removed from their poles in critical life saving rescues.
