Holidaymakers rescued at Ballito beach

A father and his teen daughter who got into trouble while swimming at Willard Beach on Sunday morning were saved by local ecologist, Simon Bundy and KwaDukuza lifeguards.
The pair was visiting Ballito for the Easter holidays and decided to take advantage of the beautiful local beaches when they got caught in a rip.
“I was enjoying a morning surf when I heard screams on the other side of the beach so I paddled over to see what was happening. The lifeguards were busy trying to keep the girl and her father afloat when she panicked and started screaming frantically,” said Bundy.
He said the lifeguards were also struggling with the rip so he decided to take the girl off their hands and let them focus on her father.
“I brought her out and soon after the lifeguards brought out her father as well,” said Bundy.
KwaDukuza lifeguard supervisor, Bongani Xulu said the local beaches were packed during the weekend and they had to be vigilant because there were holidaymakers who were not familiar with local conditions.
“At Thompson’s Bay there was a beach festival with a lot of families and young children but our team pulled through. We cannot say thank you enough to people like Bundy and also the Rapid Care and Netcare 911 paramedics who were constantly on stand by to help prevent fatalities,” said Xulu.
He said because of the demand, IPSS Medical Rescue lent the lifeguards their jet ski for the weekend.
“Working with other agencies and locals help us respond quicker and more efficiently in life threatening situations so we are always appreciative of their offers of   assistance,”said Xulu.
He said although the KwaDukuza lifeguards are responsible for keeping the local beaches safe, his team was not above accepting help during peak holiday seasons.