Bump with board enrages beach swimmers
Toti couple outraged after wife is knocked over with lifesaving board.
David Ellis said his wife, Rose was in the bathing area when she was knocked over by the board, which two young children were playing with. “It knocked me down and I ended up under the waves,” said Rose.
“When we reported the incident to the lifeguards, we found out they had given the children, aged about 11 and 12-years-old, the boards to play with. They had no leashes on. Someone could have been seriously injured.”
David was so infuriated by the incident, he confiscated the board.
This was not the first incident involving Winkle lifeguards the couple has experienced. “A while ago senior lifesavers were paddling around on boards and one hit me on the leg. No-one would take responsibility.”
“Two of our nipper members took knee boards from the club – something we recommend for them to get experience when they are on holiday as part of ongoing skills development, and were paddling them on the north side of the bathing area, which is controlled by eThekwini lifeguards,” said president of Winklespruit Surf Lifesaving Club, Neville Hazell.
“One of the nippers lost control of his board on a wave and it was carried into the bathing area on the strong side wash and washed into the legs of a bather, who was standing in the shallow water.
The knee board in question is made of polystyrene with a soft rubber wrap and is the mini type of board, made specifically for the introduction to the sport for six to eight-year-olds. The construction of the craft makes it almost impossible for the user at that age to get injured by the board bumping into them.”
The board was returned to the lifesaving club.
