Tragic drowning at Umdloti as lifeguards perform dangerous rescue attempt
The lifeguard, visibly distraught, said it was a very challenging rescue and they at times felt their own lives were at risk.
A 21-year-old man drowned this afternoon in Umdloti after getting into difficulty at an unprotected beach.
According to Marshall Security personnel at the scene, five men were swimming next to the rocks south of the tidal pool, an area known for strong rip currents and at times a heavy shorebreak.
All five got into difficulty but four managed to get themselves out of trouble.
Lifeguards were called from the adjacent protected beach to assist the fifth who had become submerged.
One of the three lifeguards who was part of the rescue effort and cannot be named said they saw the man come up once or twice when they were racing to get to him but then he disappeared under water and stayed under.
“He was under for about 10 minutes before we found him. We were diving under and searching for him. Eventually we found him and brought him to the surface, but he was unresponsive,” he said.
Lifeguards had initially used a malibu board but had to abandon it due to rough conditions that made the board near impossible to control.
A moderate to strong south westerly wind pushed the current and waves towards the rocks, taking the malibu board with it.
Consequently, the lifeguards had to rely solely on torpedo buoys and fins to perform a rescue that required the use of motorised craft.
Unfortunately, as reported in the Courier in November last year, the Umdloti lifeguards’ boat has been broken for months and they do not have a jet ski.
Due to the challenging conditions, the three lifeguards were unable to bring the unresponsive bather straight back to the beach and had to swim him out to sea, around the back of the tidal pool to an opening between the rocks through which they brought him to the beach.
The lifeguard, visibly distraught, said it was a very challenging rescue and they at times felt their own lives were at risk.
Once on the beach, lifeguards initiated CPR until Medi-Response Advanced Life Support paramedics continued resuscitative efforts.
Unfortunately, the patient was declared deceased.
The Umdloti Smart Village and Medi-Response extended their condolences to the family of the deceased.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
