Good Samaritan saves father and daughter from drowning in Knysna using NSRI rescue buoy

A quick-thinking sand castle builder became an unexpected hero when he used an NSRI pink rescue buoy to save a father and teenage daughter caught in dangerous rip currents at Brenton on Sea in Knysna. 

NSRI Knysna station commander Jerome Simonis said after 1pm on Saturday, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress.

Two people were reportedly in distress in the surf zone caught in rip currents.

NSRI rescue swimmers and off-duty NSRI lifeguards responded to the scene while the NSRI rescue craft JayTee IV and Katharine were launched. Police and ambulance services also responded.

“On NSRI rescue craft arriving on the scene, NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the water and they swam ashore, with medical equipment, finding the 2 casualties, a father, age 45, and his daughter, believed to be age 17, on the beach. They are on a holiday from Limpopo,” Simonis said. 

“They had both been rescued from the surf zone by a Good Samaritan man using an NSRI pink rescue buoy stationed at the beach at Brenton on Sea.”

The Good Samaritan who rescued the dad and his daughter from the water using a NSRI pink rescue buoy, happens to be a sand castle contractor at the beach.

"He was building sand castles on the beach when he noticed the dad and daughter in distress. Without hesitation he grabbed the NSRI pink rescue buoy and launched into the water successfully rescuing the dad and daughter. He is commended for his efforts."

An NSRI doctor and NSRI medics administered medical treatment to the father who was semi-conscious suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms. The dad was stabilized before being transported to hospital.

The daughter was not injured.

NSRI pink rescue buoys, launched by NSRI, in cooperation with municipalities and the public, in 2017, are now responsible for 228 lives saved.

Cape Times