STILLBAAI NEWS - A mother, father and their teenage daughter were rescued after being caught in rip currents and swept out to sea at Sandstrand, Jongensfontein near Stillbaai earlier today, 3 January.
According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Stillbaai station commander Stéfan Grové, it was just before 14:00 that the NSRI duty crew was alerted to a drowning in progress at Sandstrand.
Grové said the NSRI rescue craft Breede Rescuer was launched, and that two surfers were also paddling out to the family to assist. The family was already 800 metres offshore at this stage.
He said two NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI lifeguard, armed with torpedo rescue buoys, launched into the surf to swim out to the trio.
When the rescuers and surfers reached the family, they found the mom to be unconscious in the water but still breathing.
"The mom was loaded onto one of the good Samaritans surfboards while the dad and daughter held onto the second surfboard.
The family were kept afloat until the NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene.
Grové said that when the craft arrived, they were all one kilometre offshore. The family and the rescue swimmers were then taken onboard the craft and they, along with the two surfers, returned to the beach.
"While the rescue craft was returning to our NSRI rescue base the mom regained consciousness on the boat and medical treatment for non-fatal drowning symptoms was provided."
He said that once they arrived at the base, further medical treatment was administered before the family was reunited with their youngest daughter, who was not in the sea with them at the time of the incident. She was driven to the base from the beach by a man who wanted to assist.
"The family reunion was highly emotional," said Grové.
NSRI transported the family to local doctors' rooms where the family is recovering in the care of the duty doctor.
The family, who are on a holiday to Stilbaai from Brits, Gauteng, have expressed gratitude to all involved for saving their lives.
NSRI commended the two surfers for their efforts that contributed to saving the lives of the three family members, and NSRI commended the man who drove the distraught younger daughter to the base to be reunited with her family.
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