Holidaymakers rescued from Thompson’s Bay beach high tides

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Durban and the Specialised Rescue Unit (SRU) along with Netcare911 paramedics assisted the 11 men and women who could not cross back to the main beach because of the massive waves closing off the entrance at the Hole in the Wall yesterday,North Coast Courier reported. 

The swimmers were clinging to the rock while the waves crashed against the edge of the rocks below them.

It is believed one of the men managed to contact the NSRI for help, who alerted the SRU. The SRU members set up a rope line and KwaDukuza lifeguards helped to bring all 11 people safely across before the rain and darkness started to fall. 

Netcare911 paramedic Goolam Mohamed said they assessed the holidaymakers and a few of them had cuts and bruises from the rocks, but no serious injuries were reported.

In a separate incident, three swimmers in Kalk Bay were rescued after parts of Cape Town flooded, when eight-metre-high waves hit the coast in December last year.

The three bathers were rescued by lifeguards after being swept off the seawall in the Kalk Bay harbour.

In January, the National Sea Rescue Institute said Spring tides happen twice a month and bring higher than normal high tides and lower than normal low tides, which causes stronger rip currents.

“Bathers are at risk of being swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming or wading in water along the beachfront.

“Even bathers wading in shallow water who find themselves trapped in a rip current that forms suddenly are at risk of being swept out to sea,” the statement read.

– Caxton News Service