MOSSEL BAY - NSRI crew member Michelle Roos (21) of Mossel Bay was strolling along the promenade in Ballito, outside Durban, when she saw someone in trouble in the sea and she rushed to the rescue.
Michelle was in Durban for the national NSRI awards and was at the right place, at the right time to save a life.
Rescuing people runs in her blood: her father, JC Roos, is the commander of NSRI Station 15 in Mossel Bay.
Exactly where did the rescue take place?
In front of Ballito's La Montagne resort, at Bogg Beach, next to Willard Beach.
How far from the shore was the toddler?
A member of the public reached her first. When I entered the water the toddler was 20 to 30m from the shore. As I entered the sea, only knee deep, I could feel an extremely strong rip current.
I guided the rescuer who reached her first to a safe exit area. There was a bad beach break, making exiting the sea challenging.
What about the child's family?
Her mother and toddler brother were on the beach. Bogg Beach is not suitable for swimming, so no other people were in the water.
The good Samaritan went in just before I got to the beach to rescue the child.
It's wonderful that the child was saved. The rescue was a success.
Yes, the child was conscious and did not require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but she had taken in a substantial amount of water and she was in a serious condition, so she had to be hospitalised.
The aftermath of a rescue is usually extremely emotional - dealing with family members, ambulances and medical staff and waiting for the outcome.
It's amazing that you - an experienced NSRI volunteer - were there at that moment to help.
Yes, my mother and I were walking, on our way to Thompson's Bay Beach, which is in the complete opposite direction and for some reason we could not find the path to get there.
It was as if the pathway just disappeared.
Then we decided to head the other way and as we were walking past La Montagne Resort, where we were staying, we saw there was someone in trouble in the sea.
It's interesting how we could not find our way to Thompson's Bay that day, Saturday 20 July, as my mom lived in Ballito for eight years and had walked that same way every other day.
We found that mind boggling.
How long have you been an NSRI member?
Seven years. I have been an official volunteer with Sea Rescue since 2017.
I've had extensive rescue training and am a class four coxswain, highly trained in surf work.
Any advice for members of the public rescuing someone in the sea?
Use a flotation device. There are pink NSRI rescue buoys at beaches or use a bodyboard, surfboard or even an empty two-litre cooldrink bottle.
When you enter the sea, have someone on the beach watching you and get them to call for help.
Contact the NSRI 24-hour Emergency Operations Centre (082 994 7555), which activates Sea Rescue services nationwide.
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