Double rescue at Chaka’s Rock after rising tide traps holidaymakers on isolated rocks
The teenagers were rescued from what is known as High Rock Cave.
Two Pietermaritzburg teenagers had to be rescued this afternoon after being caught in High Rock Cave along Chaka’s Rock beach.
High Rock Cave can be found between Thompson’s Bay and Salt Rock and can become very dangerous when the tide gets high, said IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson, Dylan Meyrick.
There were initially three in the group and they had been walking towards Thompson’s Bay from Sheffield.
“Given they are not from the area they soon became trapped by the rising tide. Luckily one of them, a boy, was able to swim to safety and call for help,” said Meyrick.
This left a boy and girl, around the age of 14, to wait for help.
Calls were made and paramedics, KwaDukuza lifeguards and the National Sea Rescue Institue (NSRI) all arrived.
Initially, a rescue swimmer from the NSRI and a lifeguard swam out to them in order to convince them to get into the water to make rescue possible.
They then swam them out of the most dangerous section.
“I was coming from Salt Rock on a jetski and met the four – two rescue swimmers and the two stranded – out beyond backline where I could comfortably reach them,” he said.
Once collected, they were checked on the beach for further injury but were largely unscathed.
“They had become hypothermic and it could have been dangerous, but fortunately we got to them in time.”
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