A lifeguard monitors bathers while sitting on a high chair at a beach. A lifeguard monitors bathers. Picture: Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Facebook page
Eight people, including children, were rescued after they were believed to have been swept away by rip currents while swimming at Bonza Bay Beach in Beacon Bay, East London, on Friday night.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) East London station commander, Cathrine Prentis, said the duty crew was activated following reports from Buffalo City Municipal (BCM) lifeguards who were engaged in a mass rescue operation at approximately 6.05pm.
Prentis said the NSRI rescue craft, Spirit of DHL, was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers responded in the NSRI rescue vehicle and joined BCM lifeguards.
She said the Water Policing and Diving Services division of the SAPS, Alderson Ambulance Services, and the Eastern Cape Government Health Emergency Medical Services were also on the scene.
“Two BCM lifeguards, using a Malibu rescue board and a torpedo rescue buoy, had successfully rescued eight people, males and females, children and adults, from the water,” said Prentis.
According to Prentis, extensive CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts were conducted by paramedics and lifeguards on a child believed to be six years old.
“An off-duty EMS paramedic, who happened to be in the area, and one of the lifeguards initiated resuscitation efforts on the child that the lifeguards had rescued from the surf zone. While resuscitation efforts were under way on the child, the second lifeguard continued to rescue persons from the water in relays of at least two at a time, with the assistance of the Malibu rescue board,” she said.
She said the six-year-old was transported to hospital by Alderson Ambulance Service in a critical condition, with resuscitation efforts continuing while another patient was also transported to hospital in a stable condition for further care.
“The remaining six survivors were evaluated by paramedics and lifeguards and are reported to be stable and in care,” said Prentis.
Prentis stated that it appears the casualties may have been caught in rip currents suddenly, but this remains unconfirmed and police are investigating.
While all the casualties were reportedly accounted for, Prentis said as a precaution, NSRI rescue swimmers entered the water to free dive search and conduct wading sweeping line search efforts in the surf line, together with the rescue craft that searched within the surf zone, the backline, and beyond.
She said no further information was immediately available.
The NSRI said the current condition of the child is not known. “All thoughts are with those affected. All services remain on high alert. The BCM lifeguards are commended for their efforts.”
Meanwhile, in a separate incident on Wednesday, NSRI Wilderness station commander Jonathan Britton reported that two children aged nine and 12 from George were rescued by two Good Samaritans and George Municipal NSRI lifeguards at Herolds Bay on the Southern Cape coast.
Britton said the children were caught in rip currents while swimming.
He said two Good Samaritans, male teens believed to be aged 15 and 18, who were swimming in the lifeguard-protected safer swimming area, saw that the children were experiencing difficulties and went to help them.
Simultaneously, two lifeguards who spotted the children being swept away in rip currents also launched into the water to assist, he said.
“The lifeguards, together with the two Good Samaritans, assisted the two children safely to the beach,” stated Britton.
On Friday, NSRI urged holidaymakers and visitors to the coast to exercise caution during the final days of the school holidays, as the upcoming full moon spring tide is set to peak on Wednesday, January 15.
The NSRI’s Andrew Ingram said the spring tide on January 15 coincides with the full moon on January 14, significantly impacting tidal conditions during the last days of the school holidays.
“This natural phenomenon occurs when the sun, moon, and earth align during the new moon phase, amplifying the gravitational pull on earth’s oceans.”
Ingram said spring tides often result in stronger tidal currents, particularly in narrow inlets.
He said this natural phenomenon can present potential dangers, including rip currents, where stronger tidal flows intensify rip currents, posing a risk to swimmers.
The NSRI advised the public to swim at lifeguard-protected beaches and to go into the water between lifeguard flags to avoid rip currents.
According to Lifesaving South Africa, at least 29 people drowned between November and January 7, 2025, in the ocean, mostly at non-designated duty areas of non-lifeguarded beaches, while three cases were after duty hours in Cape Town.
karen.singh@inl.co.za
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