At 19h05, Saturday, 13th February, NSRI Table Bay and NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew and the CoCT (City of Cape Town) joint water rescue group were activated following reports from a CoCT (City of Cape Town) Law Enforcement officer of a drowning in progress at Table View Beach.
NSRI Table Bay duty crew responded to the sea rescue station at the V&A Waterfront to launch a sea rescue craft, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew responded to their station to prepare to tow a vessel to the scene and NSRI rescue swimmers responded directly to the beach.
Off duty Big Bay Surf Lifesaving lifeguards, Community Medics, WC Government Health EMS, Netcare 911 ambulance services, Life Healthcare response paramedics and CoCT (City of Cape Town) Fire and Rescue Services responded to join CoCT Law Enforcement on the scene.
A group of off-duty local lifeguards from Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, who live or were near to Table View Beach at the time, responded and they arrived on the scene within minutes of the initial call.
The lifeguards saw the female in the surf being swept out to sea and she was already at least 200 meters off-shore.
Lifeguards Kyle Reynolds and Dylan Lloyd launched into the surf.
Keelen Rix, a CoCT Law Enforcement officer, was also in the surf and swimming towards the casualty.
Lifeguard Damian Kennedy grabbed an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy and he also launched into the surf.
They were closely followed by lifeguards Logan Smithers and Wesley Oaks and by NSRI lifeguard Stewart Seini.
Between them they were armed with 3 rescue torpedo buoys (one of which was the NSRI pink rescue buoy that Damian had taken out with him).
Kyle was first to reach the female and he told NSRI that as he was approaching her, about 20 meters from her, she slipped under water and on reaching her she was barely able to stay afloat.
Kyle, Keenan and Dylan supported the female to stay afloat and started swimming her towards the shore. At that stage the remaining lifeguards joined them and the rescue torpedo buoys were used to aid the female casualty to stay afloat.
The lifeguards brought the female safely to the beach where medical treatment was initiated for non fatal drowning symptoms, exhaustion and hypothermia.
The 24 year old female, from Bloubergstrand, was transported to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance and she is expected to make a full recovery.
NSRI commend the swift reaction of the lifeguards and the Law Enforcement officer. Their cooperation contributed to saving the young lady from drowning.
This is the 69th person who we are aware of who has been rescued with the assistance of a Pink Rescue Buoy.
