Three Stellenbosch University (SU) students recently stepped in to assist lifeguards in the retrieval of a man caught in a riptide at Kogel Bay.
The second-year students, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the traumatic nature of the incident, were out surfing on 23 February, when they noticed someone being drawn out by the current.
Gordon’s Bay Med-Rescue confirmed that they had responded to a call that afternoon, and that the patient was pronounced dead at the scene.
The drowning victim was identified to be a Scandinavian man, estimated to be in his mid-to-late 60s, who was on holiday with his family. This is according to Luke Potterton, a third-year BA (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) SU student who was also on the beach.
Kogel Bay, a popular beach amongst students, better known as “Caves” or “Dappat se Gat”, has been identified by the City of Cape Town Municipality as a “hotspot for water emergencies”. This is according to the municipality’s ‘Lifeguard Duty Schedule for 2024/25’. PHOTO: Kiara Wales
Evident distress
SMF News spoke with one of the students involved, who said that they watched the man walking into the ocean to help a younger child before noticing that he was in distress.
“He almost made it,” claimed the student. “He made it to [the cave] where it was shallow, when a big set [of waves] came. Then he got stuck and sucked out quickly by the rip [current].”
Two lifeguards ran into the water, but struggled to reach the man, according to the student.
“One lifeguard went under one wave, turned around, and came back in [while] the other lifeguard started swimming out,” said the student. He said that they offered their assistance after it appeared that the lifeguard was also stuck in the rip-current.
The rescue buoy station at Kogel Bay. The City of Cape Town 2024/25 lifeguard duty schedule states that the area has “no safe swimming areas” and that lifeguards are on patrol from 10:00 till 18:00 daily. PHOTO: Kiara Wales
Student-lifeguard collaboration
“One friend and I ran out while [the third friend] went to fetch his surfboard,” said the student.
Once he reached the man, he worked with his friends and one lifeguard to bring the drowned tourist to shore.
“I put his head on my shoulder […] and treaded him in,” said the student. “My friend was in shock.”
“[The third friend] arrived with his surfboard, and we put [the man] on his back and pushed him in,” he said. “When the waves would come, [my friend] would go underneath the board and wrap his arms around [the man] to hold him up. One of us was pulling, one was pushing, and the lifeguard was on the side pulling as well.”
The Stellenbosch University student who spoke to SMF News claimed that they were asked by the lifeguard whether they could perform CPR. Regarding responsibilities when on patrol, Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) Patrol Guidelines 2020 handbook includes “first aid and CPR” as part of any squad’s emergency action plan (EAP). PHOTO: Kiara Wales
The aftermath
A doctor who happened to be present on the beach, assisted in performing CPR, said the student.
“We saw ER24 rushing down with defibrillators,” said the student.
Shortly afterwards, on their way home, the students stopped at the Shark’s Board hut to check on the man and saw that he had passed away.
SMF News contacted Gordon’s Bay station 9 of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) for comment, but national spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that the “NSRI was not made aware of this incident”.
The City of Cape Town Municipality and Gordon’s Bay local police station were also contacted for comment, but had not responded by the time of publication.