Quentin Power, NSRI Ballito station commander, said:
At 12h15, Friday, 29 January, NSRI Ballito duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a multiple drowning in progress in the shore break North of La Mercy Lagoon.
Our NSRI Ballito duty crew towed our sea rescue jet-ski to the scene and NSRI Ballito rescue swimmers, Netcare 911 ambulance services, eThekwini Municipal lifeguards, RUSA (Reaction Unit South Africa) members and a RUSA helicopter, SA Police Services, Durban Metro Police and Durban Metro Police Search and Rescue responded.
While responding to the scene eye witnesses are commended for keeping the responding rescue resources updated on what was happening on the scene.
A public member confirmed that a doctor, believed to be on holiday from inland KZN, who was on the beach at the time and who witnessed the drowning in progress, had entered the surf and he had rescued a local adult male, aged 43, from the water and the doctor initiated CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts on the man on the beach.
Rescue resources arrived on the scene and paramedics assisted the doctor continuing with advanced life support resuscitation efforts on the man.
An NSRI Ballito rescue swimmer launched into the surf, into strong rip currents, after a male teenager, 14, the son of the man that the paramedics and the doctor were attempting to resuscitate on the beach, was spotted in the surfline at the backline breakers.
A search commenced for the 14 year old who had then disappeared in the surfline.
The NSRI rescue swimmer conducted free dive search efforts in the vicinity of the backline breakers and in the shore break where the teenager had last been spotted in the water.
The RUSA helicopter arrived on the scene and joined the search efforts conducting an aerial search.
Rescue crews also initiated a shoreline search and during the search the teenager was located in shallow surf 200 meters South of where he had been seen earlier and Netcare 911 paramedics retrieved the teenager from the water and CPR efforts were commenced but sadly the teenager was declared deceased.
During these search efforts a pet dog, belonging to the family, was spotted lifeless in the surfline.
The families pet dog, a Pitbull Terrier, was recovered from the water by Netcare 911 paramedics and sadly the dog was deceased.
Sadly after all efforts to resuscitate the father were exhausted and he too was declared deceased by paramedics.
It appears that the local father, his 2 sons, aged 18 and 14, and their pet dog were reportedly on the shoreline close to the water when a wave is believed to have swept over them and they were sucked through a channel and into the surfline and they were swept out to sea by strong rip currents.
The 18 year old had managed to get to shore safely but his dad, his brother and their pet dog were caught in the rip currents.
The bodies of the father and his 14 year old son have been taken into the care of KZN Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an Inquest docket.
The SPCA were activated and they took the dog carcass into their care.
The 18 year old teenager was not injured and Police attended to the teenager and his mom on the scene and they were taken into the care of Police.
Condolences are conveyed to the family.
NSRI commend the swift response of all services that reacted and we commend the doctor who assisted on the scene.
The courage to be disliked