Henk Henn, NSRI Hermanus station commander, said; “At 14h58 on 21 December 2011, NSRI Hermanus volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Kleinmond where eye-witnesses had raised the alarm after noticing a young man in difficulty in the water approximately 50 meters off-shore and an older man in the surf nearby being swept and battered against rocks.
“Our NSRI Hermanus volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded to the scene in our NSRI rescue vehicle towing our sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF LE JENMAR II which was launched at the Kleinmond slipway and the Metro EMS Skymed helicopter, Metro EMS ambulance, local lifeguards and the SA Police Services responded.
“It appears that a father and son, Bruce Williams, 61, and Lindsay, 19, from Edenvale, Johannesburg, had been swept off rocks by a wave while angling. “Bruce had been swept into the surf and then bashed against the rocks sustaining a head injury before managing to clamber onto rocks where he remained dazed and disorientated while Lindsay was swept further out to sea.
“Chrisman de Jager, 31, from Fairland, Johannesburg, on holiday at Kleinmond with his family, noticed the commotion while on his way for a beach walk.
“Chrisman ran to his nearby holiday home and got his Dad, Kobus, to raise the alarm while he grabbed his brothers surfboard and ran back to the beach and launched the surfboard reaching Lindsay to provide a floating platform for Lindsay to hold onto.
“They couldn’t immediately get back to shore because of the rocky shoreline and had they tried they may have been battered against the rocks themselves but the surfboard provided an adequate floating aid while they waited for the responding rescue teams.
“Duty lifeguards at the nearby Kleinmond beach responded to the scene on a jet-ski and on reaching the two men they rescued Lindsay and took him to shore while other lifeguards and members of the public recovered Bruce from the rocks.
“Chrisman was able to get to shore safely on his surfboard without any assistance.
“Bruce and Lindsay were treated on scene by Metro EMS paramedics, Lindsay suffering a dislocated shoulder and Bruce suffering a laceration and bruising on the head, before both being transported to hospital by a Metro EMS ambulance, both in stable conditions, where doctors will replace the dislocation of Lindsays arm and Bruce is receiving treatment for shock and a laceration and contusions to the head.
“During the entire ordeal Kobus de Jager, using his cellphone, kept the responding rescue teams abreast of developments as they unfolded.
“Chrisman de Jager is commended for his actions.”
NSRI are urging the public to be extremely safety conscious over the coming Christmas weekend where the monthly new moon Spring tide will cause high tide to be higher than normal, low tide to be lower than normal and rip currents to be stronger than normal. Bathers and anglers should be particularly cautious during this period.
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