Hero lifeguard shares his story after saving four in Miller's Point beach rescue

Saadiq Parker has credited his training and nine years of lifesaving experience for not hesitating to jump into action and help rescue four people, including two girls aged five and eight, from drowning at Millers Point Beach in Simon’s Town at the weekend.

In less than ten minutes, the senior Strandfontein Surf Lifesaving Club lifeguard pulled the four to safety.

Saturday was his day off, and Parker, 25, was spending time with his fiancée and family when he heard people shouting for help. 

“I see a green floaty ring that kids play with, flying out to sea. I’m thinking there’s kids in this floaty so I got up, then somebody pointed close by to show there’s children drowning there. I see two people go in to fetch them but I see they are also struggling to keep the kids above water so they are all now stuck in that same predicament." 

In an attempt to rescue the children, two adults were also caught in a rip current.

“A lifeguard needs to be able to read the water, assess the situation and then do the appropriate action. 

“In that ten minutes I assessed there were four patients in the water, I ran up and I got the (NSRI) floatation device. I ran in, I swam to my patients, from there I secured my patients. I swam them out, from there I gave instructions to the public to contact Emergency Medical Services and I initiated CPR with the help of the public.”

The Strandfontein Surf Lifesaving Club said after returning to shore, one of the children was unresponsive, not breathing and foaming from the mouth.  

“Immediate (CPR) was initiated by Senior Lifeguard Parker, with members of the public assisting in a coordinated effort.

“After six cycles of CPR, the child’s vital signs returned. The patient was monitored continuously, although she lost consciousness intermittently prior to the arrival of emergency services.”

The NSRI who were also alerted to the incident said their Simons Town rescue vehicle, with NSRI rescue swimmers, and a Cape Medical Response (CMR) ambulance and rescue paramedic, were diverted to respond to the scene just around 12pm.

“On Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services arriving first on the scene - they confirmed that two casualties, both female children, were safely out of the water. Fire paramedics treated the five-year-old female, from East Ridge, and the 8-year-old female, from Hanover Park - both suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms and they were joined by paramedics providing additional medical care to the children. Both children were transported to hospital by CMR ambulance in stable conditions, both are expected to make full recoveries,” said NSRI Simons Town station commander, Darren Zimmerman. 

Parker fell in love with the ocean while still in high school and began training as a lifeguard at a young age. Although this was only the second time he has had to perform CPR, he has saved nearly 20 people during his career. In 2016, shortly after becoming a lifeguard, he rescued two people at Fisherman’s Lane. 

In 2019, he was promoted to senior lifeguard, and in 2022, he became the club’s lifesaving instructor. Parker went on to earn his inflatable rescue boat and rescue crewman certificates in 2023, followed by his inflatable rescue boat skipper’s certificate in 2024.

He said that although lifeguards are stationed at popular beaches, many other busy beaches are left unprotected during the festive season. Parker urged authorities to place lifeguards at all swimming beaches, especially over the holidays, warning that deadly accidents often happen where no lifeguards are on duty.

Cape Times