The National Sea Rescue Institute’s various stations were busy with multiple incidents over the long weekend, including the rescue of two minors at Clifton Beach after the NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay said they had received multiple calls from concerned residents.
According to David Rosenberg, NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander, concerned residents intervened at Clifton’s 1st Beach to assist rescue crews in saving two children, an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old, who got into difficulty after being swept out to sea in rip currents while swimming.
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Concerned witnesses made multiple calls, and Alex Elcock, a resident of Clifton 1st Beach, stayed on the line with NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) controllers, relaying critical information, updating NSRI EOC and responding to emergency resources as the incident unfolded.
Meanwhile, Andrew, her husband, had jumped into the water to help.
NSRI believes two more bystanders entered the surf, one of whom may have had an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy with him.
The sea was reportedly rough, with swells of two to three metres, and the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) water rescue network was notified.
NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay Rescue Swimmers, CoCT Law Enforcement officers and off-duty Clifton lifeguards all responded immediately. WC Government Health EMS Metro Control also dispatched Generic Paramedics ambulance services.
The duty crew of the NSRI Bakoven rescue station responded and launched the NSRI rescue craft Gemini Legend, and two NSRI rescue swimmers launched into the water.
At that point, the 10-year-old male was being helped out of the water by what we believe to be two bystanders whom we have yet to identify. The child was safe after reaching the beach with the help of these good samaritans and additional bystanders who waded into the surf to assist.
Andrew Elcock had found the eight-year-old male in severe distress, caught in a strong rip current and being dunked under the incoming waves, about 20 metres off-shore.
Andrew realised that swimming the child through the breaking surf line towards the beach would be futile. Andrew, caught in a strong rip current, simply kept the child afloat, knowing that NSRI was on the way.
Andrew, a regular swimmer at Clifton, rode the rip current out to sea, holding on to the child and coaching him to tread water to stay afloat.
As each wave approached, Andrew instructed the child on how to dunk under the wave, stay under until the tailing wash dissipated before resurfacing and then stay afloat, treading water, at the mercy (and assistance) of the outgoing rip current to face the next incoming wave. Andrew praised the child’s performance.
About 200 metres off-shore, NSRI rescue swimmers located Andrew and the 8-year-old. While Andrew was successfully treading water, a rescue buoy was passed to the child to hold onto for floatation in the care of the NSRI rescue swimmer.
The NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene and took everyone aboard, where the child and Andrew were treated for hypothermia. They were transported aboard the rescue craft to the NSRI Bakoven rescue station, where medical treatment for severe hypothermia was continued for the child.
A Generic Paramedics ambulance service ambulance arrived at Clifton 1st Beach, where paramedics examined the 10-year-old child and determined that he was in good condition.
Then, EMS Metro Control diverted the Generic Paramedics ambulance to the Bakoven NSRI rescue station. They took the mother, her 10-year-old child and her 5-year-old child to Bakoven (the 5-year-old had not been in the water).
Paramedics continued to observe the 10-year-old child en route to Bakoven Generic, checking on him for non-fatal drowning symptoms, but he was already in good spirits and did not require any further medical care.
When the 8-year-old child arrived at the NSRI Bakoven rescue station, generic paramedics assisted our NSRI medics in continuing medical treatment for non-fatal drowning symptoms and severe hypothermia.
Once stabilised, the 8-year-old child, accompanied by his family, was transported to the hospital in the Generic Paramedics ambulance, where he was later released by hospital staff, requiring no further medical care.
NSRI applauded Alex and her husband Andrew Elcock and the unidentified good samaritans, for going above and beyond the call of duty to save the two children’s lives.
The two children are praised for their bravery and tenacity in the face of imminent danger.
The Cameroon family, who live in Bryanston, Johannesburg, has expressed their heartfelt appreciation for everyone’s efforts and said that the two children are in good health and spirits.
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Picture: National Sea Rescue Institute