'Back from the dead'

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A Reebok man feels tremendously honoured to have resuscitated a man after he had no pulse or breath and his face had taken on a deathly pallor.

Dawid Kuyler said: "On 16 April, I went fishing quite early. I came back before 10:00."

"I saw two women at the large tidal pool at Reebook. I was about to put my fishing gear in my bakkie."

With the women was a man. Dawid said: "I saw him walk about 20 metres, then he collapsed in the parking area

"He turned red and was perspiring heavily. He then stopped breathing. He had the colour of death and had no pulse, nothing. We shouted for people to call an ambulance."

Dawid started doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the man.

"The biggest surprise was when he opened his eyes and started living again. I didn't expect it. You do CPR in the hope someone survives and when it happens, it's a total surprise."

Prison chaplain

Dawid once worked as a prison chaplain. "We were trained in prison to do first aid and every year had to do a refresher course." Dawid thought: "Let me do what I have been trained to do."

He said: "I saw there was no life." He thought: "Maybe I am just doing it to show his wife that I care." He said: "I felt for her."

Although a resident of Reebok, Dawid, aged 65, lectures at a university in Lusaka. He was home with his wife on a break from the university at the time the incident took place. He flew back to Lusaka on Sunday, 30 April.

He has a doctorate in Theology. Dawid grew up in Glentana and lived in Bloemfontein for a time. He moved to Reebok at the end of 2016.

The man Dawid resuscitated is Albrae Bevan (70) of Johannesburg. Albrae was with his wife, Annemarie Naude, and Annemarie's brother's sister, Magdalena van den Berg, when he collapsed at the beach.

Aortic valve

Albrae was admitted to Life Bay View Hospital in Mossel Bay. An aortic valve had to be replaced and he had a triple bypass. Albrae left the hospital last weekend and he and Annemarie returned to Johannesburg this week.

Dawid got to see Albrae again in Reebok when he came out of hospital. Dawid said: "It was a wonderful experience, meeting Albrae again and spending time with him and his family. A miracle.

"I had the privilege of assisting Albrae. A miracle happened when he came back to life after being resuscitated.

"After a successful operation we could meet again and share our stories of what happened that day."

Dawid advised: "Just do what you can, when you can. Never let an opportunity pass you by. You never know how God can use you, even when you doubt if it will help. God is good and merciful. He holds our life in His hands. Glory to God. As a bonus I have made new friends."

Annemarie said: "We are just so happy to have him (Albrae) back."

Albrae with Annemarie (right) and Magdalena.