Rip currents remain a danger — NSRI

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has cautioned bathers, surfers, boaters, anglers, coastal hikers and other beachgoers that strong rip currents, which caused havoc over the festive season, are set to continue this summer.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said though its pink buoys had saved at least 177 lives since they were introduced, fatal drownings along the SA coastline had occurred mainly at beaches not protected by lifeguards.

Numerous incidents were reported along the coast over the festive period, including several rescues and drownings in the Eastern Cape.

In the most recent incident, a surfer died after being pulled from the water at Seal Point, Cape St Francis, on Monday.

Cape Town resident Daniel John Lurie, 30, was brought to shore by other surfers after they noticed him flailing in the water.

NSRI St Francis Bay station commander Sarah Smith said emergency services personnel were called to the beach and performed CPR on the surfer.

“On NSRI members arriving at the scene, we found a doctor assisting Kouga lifeguards and public members conducting CPR efforts on a man.

“NSRI medics and paramedics assisted with the CPR efforts on the scene.

“Despite extensive CPR efforts, sadly the man was declared deceased.”

Smith praised the surfers for assisting Lurie after noticing he was in distress.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said an inquest docket had been opened.

“According to police reports, on January 15 at about 3.30pm, members of St Francis Bay station attended to a complaint of a man who died at Seal Point, Cape St Francis.

“He was surfing when other surfers noticed something was wrong.

“They took him out of the

‘Inland water users are also urged to be cautious — an increase [in] inland water-related emergencies is of concern’

water and tried to revive him.”

Naidu said ambulance services were contacted and Lurie was later declared dead at the scene.

She said he had no visible injuries.

Lambinon urged water users to adopt a safety-conscious approach to swimming, boating, paddling and sailing.

“Along the coastline only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards.

“Inland water users are also urged to be cautious — an increase [in] inland water-related emergencies is of concern, and we are appealing to everyone in and around inland waterways to have safety top of mind.

“This festive season, on evaluation, appears to indicate that fatal drowning incidents around the coastline may have mostly occurred at beaches not protected by lifeguards.

“We are also appealing to bathers not to drink alcohol and then go swimming.

“Around the coastline, rip currents appear to remain the greatest cause of bathers getting into difficulty in the surf,” he said.

According to the NSRI, at least six hikers had to be assisted after getting into trouble along trails in the Tsitsikamma region.

In the Jeffreys Bay area, rescue teams had to assist people in at least five water-related incidents, with one drowning reported.

In Plettenberg Bay, crews responded to at least three water-related incidents.

Three incidents were also reported in Gqeberha since the start of December.