A fun day of swimming quickly turned into panic for Mossel Bay mother Jessica van der Schyff and her 10-year-old son, Shaun-Lee, who suffered a near drowning incident at Diaz Beach on Sunday, reports the Mossel Bay Advertiser.

Van der Schyff said it all happened in a few minutes.

The family lives across from Diaz Beach and frequently swims in its waters. Although they consider themselves to be strong swimmers, the waves that day caught them completely off guard.

Shaun-Lee’s sister was still swimming when the incident occurred. He had gone into the water to let her know that the family was getting ready to leave the beach.

“I watched him go into the water and dive under a wave, which he knows to do. But then he didn’t immediately come back up,” said Van der Schyff.

She then saw one of the lifeguards present on the beach dart past her and into the water, towards her son. Her daughter had the same idea and started swimming towards the emergency.

Shaun-Lee said he had meanwhile managed to turn onto his back, which he had been taught to do in situations like these.

However, he was continuously submerged by strong and frequent waves and struggled to stay afloat.

Thankfully, the lifeguard was able to reach him and his sister, and brought them both safely to shore.

Once out of the water, Shaun-Lee was unsurprisingly somewhat shocked. He had swallowed a lot of water, but sustained no other injuries. His sister seemed unharmed.

Shaun-Lee made sure to thank the lifeguards with a hug and a handshake.

“As a single mum, seeing my child in distress was one of the most frightening moments I can imagine,” reads a heartfelt email Van der Schyff had sent to the lifesaving medical rescue services and training crews, thanking the team for their quick response.

“Please know that your actions that day meant more to me than I can fully put into words. I am profoundly thankful for your vigilance, teamwork and commitment to keeping others safe,” she said.

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