A dedicated team from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) saved 21-year-old Yannis Coetzer’s life from drowning after he was stuck at sea beyond the breakers for an hour at the St Francis Bay Beach in the Eastern Cape on Saturday.
Prior to the near-drowning incident, Coetzer and his friend, Morgan Lindsay (21), were swept out to sea while they were swimming together.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that Lindsay was assisting his friend offshore beyond the breakers, while they being caught in rip currents.
“Morgan made the difficult decision to retreat to the shoreline to go to seek help. Yannis, we believe, was just too tired in the water to risk following Morgan into the surf zone.
“Morgan reached the shoreline, where he located friends of his parents, who were walking on the beach, and he used their phone to call NSRI to raise the alarm,” said Lambinon.
Coetzer was missing when his friend sought for emergency services.
While the NSRI St Francis Bay station 21 duty crew was preparing for a rescue mission, the organisation’s coxswain, Louis Fouche, and his friends who were fishing at the time on the Avrikiti boat responded swiftly to the emergency.
Fouche’s team was two miles from the scene when the emergency call came through.
“They responded on Avrikiti and on reaching the area, following a brief search, at 08h17, they located the local casualty Yannis in the water at the backline breakers.
“Reaching him, they were able to rescue him onto their boat safely. He was found to be tired, dehydrated and showing signs of non-fatal drowning symptoms.
“He had been in the water for about an hour and told the Good Samaritan rescuers that he had simply made all efforts to stay afloat, while at the mercy of sea currents that were gradually sweeping him towards the shoreline. He was unable to follow Morgan to the shore. He has praised his friend for going to get help,” said Lambinon.
Coetzer was treated on the Avrikiti boat. The young man was assessed by paramedics, who advised him to be on the alert for further non-fatal drowning symptoms.
The NSRI commended Lindsay for saving his friend’s life, including Fouche’s crew, which included the Avrikiti’s owner and skipper, Barry Culligan, and John Lagaay.
The Star