HARTENBOS NEWS - A boy from Schweizer-Reneke High School in North-West Province is still in the intensive care unit at Life Bay View Private Hospital in Mossel Bay after he was rescued from the sea at Hartenbos on Saturday afternoon.
After the incident members of his family travelled to Mossel Bay to be with him and they are still in town currently.
Bongi Mthembu (17) was in difficulty in the surf in front of Hartenbos Seefront and was rescued from the water at about 14:30.
The hospital is not permitted to give information on the condition of patients for client confidentiality reasons.
He was in Mossel Bay with his school for rugby matches.
Bongi was swimming with other schoolmates when he got into difficulty at about 14:30 on Saturday.
When he had been rescued from the water, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was done by two lifeguards.
Two more lifeguards then assisted with additional medical equipment, providing oxygen and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) to provide further assistance.
This is a portable device used to analyze a person's heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock (defibrillation) to restore a normal heartbeat in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.
An ambulance was called. The lifeguards continued CPR, successfully regaining Bongi's pulse. Oxygen was administered to stabilise Bongi until paramedics arrived.
Fire and Rescue Services and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Rescue arrived on the scene to assist.
Suction was performed, because Bongi had taken in much water and had a lot of water on his lungs and oxygen therapy was continued.
Bongi was then transported to Life Bay View Private Hospital by an ER24 ambulance at 15:15.
Members of the public and those at the scene said that the response to the incident was quick and professional by all those involved.
Bongi had been swimming on a section of the beach that was not manned by lifeguards, so lifeguards had to run to the scene from the platform outside Elvis Brew coffee shop, where they were stationed, after they had been called by a member of the public.
Schweizer-Reneke High School put a photograph of Bongi on its Facebook page, asking people: "Please pray for Bongi."
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
