Family of Three Rescued from Rip Currents in Jongensfontein by NSRI and Brave Surfers

In a harrowing turn of events on the picturesque but perilous waters of Jongensfontein, a family holiday turned nearly tragic when a family of three from Brits, Gauteng, was swept out to sea by rip currents. The incident, which occurred at approximately 13:49 on Friday, 3 January, prompted an immediate response from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Stilbaai team, alongside several courageous local surfers.

The family, comprising a father, a mother, and their teenage daughter, was enjoying the day at Sandstrand near the Caravan Park at Jongensfontein when they were unwittingly caught in a strong rip current. Observers from the shore promptly alerted the NSRI, setting a dramatic rescue operation into motion.

NSRI Stilbaai's duty crew swiftly responded by launching from their station 31 base with the NSRI rescue craft Breede Rescuer. Concurrently, nearby on-duty NSRI lifeguards quickly engaged, and two local surfers spotted the distressed family approximately 800 meters offshore.

As the surfers paddled out to the struggling family, NSRI rescue swimmers equipped with torpedo rescue buoys joined them in the water. Together, they reached the family, discovering the mother unconscious but breathing. In a critical move, the mother was secured onto one of the surfer’s boards, while the father and daughter clung to the other.

Once the NSRI rescue craft reached the family now 1 kilometer from shore, all three were brought aboard. Remarkably, on their way back to the base, the mother regained consciousness, and begun receiving medical attention for symptoms of non-fatal drowning.

Upon reaching the NSRI base, the family received further medical treatment. In a touching moment of reunion, the family’s younger daughter, who had been driven to the base by a compassionate bystander, joined her recovering family, marking an emotional end to a fraught ordeal.

The family was subsequently transported to a local doctor's facility where they continued their recovery. Throughout this ordeal, the heroic efforts and quick actions of the NSRI team, the skilled and brave surfers, and the goodwill of local community members who played crucial roles in the rescue and care of the family have been lauded.

This incident has shone a spotlight on the hidden dangers of rip currents along South Africa’s vast coastline and highlights the indispensable role of the NSRI and local communities in ensuring beachgoer safety.