MOSSEL BAY NEWS - NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, André Fraser, presented letters of appreciation to two young local surfers on 4 December, for rescuing someone from the surf.
The framed letters are from the NSRI CEO.
On 15 June, some of the children who are coached by the Surfer Kids NPO, were at Dias Beach surfing, while others were busy with some chores. There were other surfers in the water as well. In the parking lot was a father, watching his eight-year-old son, who was also surfing.
Sandiso Ntosho (15), one of the Surfer Kids who was still busy on land, spotted something that looked like a shark fin and immediately ran to his instructor and coach with binoculars.
The coach, Luthando Ndabambi, agreed that it was indeed a shark in the water. At the same time, the eight-year-old boy was caught in a rip current, drawn towards the direction of the shark.
The coach started blowing a whistle as well as the father of the eight-year-old boy, but it was clear to see the young boy was struggling to get out of the rip current and was in desperate need of help.
Because of the whistle being blown continuously, all the surfers, except for one still trying to get out, had left the sea and were on the beach, but Sandiso Ntosho (15) was running from the dunes at full speed into the water, straight towards the young boy in distress.
While Sandiso was frantically swimming the young boy out of the current, the one surfer left in the water, a local resident surfer, Lohan de Villiers (13), decided not to leave the water and went to help the eight-year-old boy and Sandiso get to shore safely.
Heroic Sandiso Ntosho (15) and Lohan de Villiers (13) put their own lives at risk to save the boy. The NSRI tried to locate the boy who was rescued and his father, but were not successful in this regard.
Fraser said: "We all are so glad that all ended well, with everyone safely ashore and we are so proud of the Surfer Kid and local surfer."
The Surfer Kids, situated at Dias Beach, have the mission of empowering youths through activities that teach commitment and dedication.
The NPO's primary medium for achieving these objectives with the youths is surfing. It also provides the children with a meal every day. It recognises that schoolwork should be a priority for these children, so assists them with their homework in the afternoons.
The Surfer Kids programme runs five days a week, all year round, averaging a daily attendance of about 20 children.
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