Ray Farnham, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said; “On 24 April at 16h00 NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteers were activated following reports of two males being swept out to sea at Natures Valley.
Our NSRI rescue swimmer Torsten Henschel, stationed in Natures Valley for the long weekend was activated while our NSRI duty crew launched our rescue craft Ian Hepburn, Airlink Rescuer and our Discovery Rescue Runner, and two off-duty NSRI volunteers, dr. Johan van Vuuren, and NSRI rescue swimmer Marty Reddering confirmed that they too were already in Natures Valley for the long weekend and they both responded to the scene.
On arrival on-scene NSRI rescue swimmers Torsten Henschel and Marty Reddering swam 400 meters out to sea where they rounded up a 30 year old male and a 14 year old male who had both been swept out to sea by rip-currents while swimming.
Our doctor van Vuuren, on the beach, directed the approaching sea rescue boats to the location of the rescue and on arrival on-scene the two males and our two rescue swimmers were taken onboard our sea rescue craft and they were both treated for near drowning symptoms by our duty doctor dr. Sam Botha, who was onboard our sea rescue craft Ian Hepburn, and both males were stabilized and brought to our sea rescue station where we were met by a Medlife ambulance and both males, 30 year old Michael van den Heever, from Kathu, Northern Cape, and 14 year old Michael van den Heever, from Warrenton, Northern Cape, have been transported to hospital in stable conditions for further treatment.”
