Gert du Plessis, NSRI Port Edward duty coxswain, said; “At 13h15 on Monday 31 October our NSRI volunteer duty sea rescue crew were activated following reports of a female being swept out to sea in rip-currents at Silver Beach.
“Our NSRI volunteer duty crew responded to our sea rescue base (to prepare a sea rescue boat to be launched) and NSRI volunteer rescue swimmers responded directly to the beach. uBuntu Lifeguards were activated. A Netcare 911 ambulance was activated.
“Silver Beach is only patrolled by Lifeguards during the weekends and Summer Season Lifeguard duties at Silver Beach (which normally see lifeguards deployed to patrol the beach during the week as well) only resume later in November.
“An off-duty junior trainee NSRI volunteer, Robin Nel, 17, who happened to be on the beach at the time the incident, saw the lady being swept out to sea and he activated the NSRI volunteer duty crew before plunging into the surf to go after the lady (who was being swept out to sea).
“Robin swam into the rip current to use the rip-current to catch up with the lady and on reaching her he calmed her and then helped her to reach some nearby rocks, at Grampa Rocks, and he kept her there knowing that his NSRI fellow crew members were on their way and would come to help.
“An off-duty uBuntu lifeguard, David Maduna, who also happened to be on the beach at the time, noticed Robin swimming out to sea (chasing after the lady in trouble), and he also swam out to help and on reaching Robin and the lady, who were by now sitting perched on the rocks, he and Robin decided together that between them they would swim the lady back to the beach which they did.
“Once they reached the beach with the lady they were met by the NSRI rescuers and uBuntu Lifeguards (who had responded to the beach and who had by now reached the beach).
“The lady, 44 year old Cecilia McGuire, from Springs in Johannesburg, was assessed by NSRI and Lifeguard medics and on their determining that she was not injured and required no further medical assistance the Netcare 911 ambulance was stood down as it was no longer required.
“It appears that Cecilia McGuire had been swept out to sea while swimming at Silver Beach by a very strong rip-current still prevailing from the recent New Moon Spring Tide.”
