Quick action by Port Alfred High School pupil Jason Palmer prevented likely tragedy, when he saved a family who got into trouble in the sea at East Beach. Jason rescued two children and their mother when they were swept out into the surf zone by a rip current.
NSRI Port Alfred deputy station commander, Gerrit Cloete, said a NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at East Beach at 10.40am on Saturday February 8.
They’d received reports that a local family – a brother aged 12 and his sister aged 19 had been caught in rip currents during the turning of the high tide.
Jason Palmer had been surfing and was exiting the water when he noticed the siblings being swept out to sea.
“He launched, with his surfboard, to go their assistance,” Cloete said.
Their mother, 42, then also launched into the water to try to assist.
Using his surfboard, Jason went to their assistance, loading both casualties onto his surfboard and paddling and swimming them towards the shore.
“Then in the surf zone, he also took the mom on board his surfboard and he managed to get all three of them safely ashore,” Cloete said.
The incident had been posted on social media and, by chance, the friend of an NSRI crew member saw it and raised the alarm.
“NSRI rescue swimmers and the NSRI rescue vehicle responded to the scene while NSRI Port Alfred crew responded to the NSRI Port Alfred station 11 rescue base where they launched the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha,” Cloete said.
“Gardmed ambulance services were activated. On arrival on the scene we found all three casualties safely on the beach.”
The three were assessed by paramedics. The mother, found to be suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms, was transported to hospital by Gardmed ambulance where she was discharged following medical treatment. Her two children were not injured.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon commended Jason, as well as the local friend of a NSRI Port Alfred volunteer who noticed the posting on social media and immediately raised the alarm.
Lambinon said, “The NSRI are appealing to the local public, in Port Alfred and surrounding areas to call NSRI in a water related emergency.
WHO TO CALL
- NSRI Port Alfred emergency duty phone – 0829905971
- NSRI National Emergency Operations Centre – 0870949774
- National Emergency Number (from a cellphone) 112
