At 11h00, Sunday, 15th January, an elderly local gentleman, a regular visitor to the Kommetjie slip-way and an enthusiastic crayfisherman was saved from drowning by a remarkable coincidence.
NSRI Kommetjie station commander Ian Klopper takes up the story….
“At around 11a.m. today, this local man who we believe to be aged in his 80’s, and a man who we regularly see down at the Kommetjie slip-way, who often launches on boats with his family to go crayfishing, was standing in knee deep water at the slip-way, said Ian.
“It was a particularly busy day at our slip-way and multiple boats were coming and going in and out of the slip-way and some of our NSRI crew were in the vicinity of the slip-way preparing for our regular routine operational exercises.
“We suspect that at the time the gentleman was either waiting for a boat to return or for a boat to be launched but it appears that no one had noticed him standing in the water.
“At one point a boat trailer, being reversed down the slip way, accidentally knocked over this gentleman (it appears that the man driving the vehicle and reversing the trailer into the water did not see the man standing in the water). The trailer collided with the man and knocking him over the man landed face down in the water.
“He was wearing waders that filled with water when he fell over and the weight of the water filled waders, and the slippery kelp and muddy water, caused the man’s face to be trapped under water and he was unable to lift his head out of the water.
“One of our NSRI Kommetjie crew, Daniel Jegels, out of the corner of his eye noticed the incident happen and Daniel immediately leapt into action and ran over and lifted the man’s head up so that he could take a breath of air and then Daniel gently lifted the man up onto his feet and helped him out of the water.
“The incident lasted for only a few seconds but we are certain that if NSRI crew had not been in the vicinity at the time, and that if Daniel had not noticed the incident happening in that moment, and if Daniel had not reacted as quickly as he had, the man may certainly have drowned in only knee deep water after the weight of his waders that had filled with water and the frailty of the elderly gentleman being unable to lift himself, and the slippery kelp and the muddy water, without a doubt, may have resulted in tragedy.
“Other NSRI crew members who were further away noticed Daniel leaping into action to go to the man’s aid and they ran down the slip way and helped Daniel to escort the man up the slip-way to deliver him safely to his family and after making sure that he was okay the man required no further assistance.
“From eye-witness accounts of the incident Daniel is commended for saving the man’s life today.”
Saddened by Thandi Klaasen’s passing