Simon Williams, NSRI Gqeberha deputy station commander, said: At 16h30, Wednesday, 6 January, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew and the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Water Emergency Rescue Committee were activated following reports from an off duty NSRI trainee crewman confirming that he was on the scene where he had witnessed a man in distress in the surf zone after the man had fallen from rocks on the shoreline into the surf at Pollock Beach, Gqeberha.
NMB lifeguards had entered the water to assist.
NSRI rescue swimmers, CWR (Coastal Water Rescue) and Gardmed ambulance services responded.
On arrival on the scene we found a local 20 year old male safely on the beach where medical care was administered for non-fatal drowning symptoms.
The man was transported to hospital by Gardmed ambulance services in a stable condition, for further medical care, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
It appears that after the man fell from rocks into the water where local surfers, who were surfing nearby at the time, went to the mans assistance and on reaching him 2 local surfers, Good Samaritans, were able to recover the man onto a surfboard and, assisted by an NMB lifeguard, they rescued the man safely to the shoreline.
Our NSRI trainee crewman is commended for swiftly raising the alarm. The 2 surfers, Good Samaritans, that rescued the man from the water, assisted by the NMB lifeguard, are commended for their efforts that contributed to saving the mans life.
