Salt Rock kite surfer to the rescue in Umdloti

What started as a chilled kite surfing session turned into a dramatic life saving mission at Umdloti beach last week.

Salt Rock kite surfer Matthew Rademan happened to be at the right place at the right time to save a man’s life.

“I usually kite at Salt Rock main beach, but went to Umdloti that day to see my friend, Bruce Gaynham. The wind was light and the waves were large with a big shore break – not a good combination for kiting and we almost decided not to go out,” said Rademan.

While kiting he noticed a group of about 10 people in the shorebreak waving frantically for help.

“I saw just a head floating face down in the water, not moving, a few metres from shore,” said Rademan.

“I jumped off my surfboard next to the person, trying to keep my momentum with the kite to pull us to shore. I missed him on the first attempt and then could not see him. His friends guided me back to him and I managed to use the kite to pull us both onto the beach quickly and got him out.”

The friends helped drag the seemingly lifeless man further up the beach while Rademan pulled his safety quick release on the kite to land it.

“He was lying on his back, unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. I asked his now hysterical friends how long he had been under and they said five minutes. My worst fears were that he was dead.”

Rademan immediately started chest compressions.

“After a few compressions, he vomited a lot of water. I turned him onto his side in the recovery position and instructed the guy on the road to call the lifeguards.

“He had a pulse and fit-like spasms and breathed very strangely. Luckily the lifeguards arrived and started administering oxygen followed by the arrival of paramedics.”

By this stage, Rademan was quite traumatised and seriously relieved to have more help.

He said it was thanks to his wife, Nicole, who runs Dolphin Gliders Swim School in Ballito, that he knew that the latest CPR technique is focused on chest compression.

Nicole said understanding water safety and knowing how to swim are life skills that everybody should learn.

“You should only swim at a beach monitored by lifeguards and always stay between the flags. Speak to the lifeguards before you go into the water to find out if there are any potential dangers if you are new to the beach,” she said.

“Normally, if you inform them you are a weak swimmer they will keep an extra eye out for you. Don’t go deeper than your waist – it can get deep quickly or you could get sucked out easily if you cannot stand.”

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