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By Lebone Rodah Mosima
Three children were rescued after being caught in rip currents at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town on Monday, when an NSRI crew returning from an unrelated drowning call spotted them being swept towards deeper water.
The two boys aged 10 and 11 and a 13-year-old girl were brought safely to shore and were not injured, according to Nicolette Whitehead, NSRI Strandfontein station commander.
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Whitehead said the National Sea Rescue Institute’s Strandfontein duty crew had initially been activated at 16:34 following reports of a drowning in progress at Monwabisi Beach in False Bay.
“NSRI rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene while NSRI crew launched the NSRI rescue craft Rotarian Wares, at the NSRI auxiliary satellite station at Monwabisi,” Whitehead said.
The City of Cape Town water rescue network was alerted, while police, Western Cape Government Health EMS, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service and City law enforcement officers also responded.
Whitehead said unconfirmed reports suggested a drowning incident had occurred about half an hour earlier, but rescuers were unable to establish exactly where it had happened and could not reach the eyewitness who raised the alarm.
“During a search of the area bystanders came forward and indicated that a female who had been in difficulties, appearing to be caught in rip currents, had been assisted safely out of the water by unidentified bystander Good Samaritans, and the casualty had since departed the beach,” she said.
With nobody found in distress or requiring medical attention, the call was cancelled and rescue teams began returning to base.
It was while the NSRI rescue craft was heading back to shore that the crew spotted the three children in difficulty.
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“As our NSRI rescue craft was returning to shore our NSRI crew noticed three children, swimming nearby in shallow surf, they appeared to be caught in rip currents and they were being swept off their feet and starting to be swept out to sea,” Whitehead said.
“Our NSRI rescue craft diverted to where they were and was able to recover all three local children.
“They were brought to shore safely and not injured they were taken into the care of their parents and no further assistance was required.”
She said the circumstances surrounding the original drowning report had still not been confirmed.
“It still cannot be confirmed the original incident that had been responded to earlier but we are grateful that our NSRI crew, emergency services and the NSRI rescue craft was on hand at the time of the three children getting into difficulties and by chance preventing a possible drowning accident.”
On Monday, the organisation reported an increase in rescue activity along parts of South Africa’s coastline as warmer weather and the start of the school holidays drew more people to beaches and other waterways.
It urged swimmers, boaters, anglers and families to take additional precautions at beaches, swimming pools, rivers and dams as summer water activity increases.
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