Saturday afternoon proved difficult for North Coast beachgoers with 2 near drowning in quick succession in Umdloti and Umhlanga.

At Umdloti South Beach, a 35-year-old man and his 5-year-old son were reportedly pulled into the water by a wave.

Luckily, onlookers jumped into the water to assist and got them back to the safety of the beach relatively unharmed.

Both father and son were taken to the hospital with non-fatal drowning symptoms but were later released fully healthy, said Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst.

In Umhlanga, a 24-year-old woman was reportedly swimming at an unprotected beach near the Umhlanga Lagoon when she got into difficulty.

A member of the public saw her struggling to stay afloat and swam out to help just as she submerged in the backline waves.

The woman was also taken to hospital with non-fatal drowning symptoms. She has since been released from hospital as well, said Herbst.