One bather drowns, two saved at Beachview
ONE person drowned and two others were rescued after they were caught in a rip current while swimming at the Beachview Resort in Port Elizabeth yesterday afternoon.
Two men and a woman, all in their 20s, had gone swimming despite the beaches being closed due to bad conditions, coastal Water Rescue operations coordinator Wayne de Lange said.
“Yesterday afternoon, just before 5pm, we received a call that three people had been caught in a strong rip current in the sea at Beachview,” he said.
When De Lange and two colleagues from Coastal Water Rescue arrived on the scene, municipal life guards were bringing the three swimmers to shore.
“We assisted in keeping the crowd away and with resuscitation,” De Lange said.
One of the men could not be resuscitated and was declared dead at the scene, while the woman was airlifted by Aeromed to Livingstone Hospital.
De Lange said the second man had refused to be taken to hospital but was advised to seek further medical attention.
“The lifeguards had closed off the beaches as the conditions were not sustainable for swimming.
“It is not called the Wild Side for nothing,” he said.
Last week, the National Sea Rescue Institute warned people to be extra cautious on beaches during the full moon spring tide, which peaks today.
NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said the tide would cause stronger than normal rip currents around the coast. The rip tide is expected to last until Friday. Lambinon advised those caught in a rip tide to stay calm, tread water and not to fight the current.
At the first opportunity, they should swim parallel to the beach and then use incoming waves to get back to shore, he said.