Umgeni River Rescue

Paul Bevis, NSRI Durban coxswain, said: At 15h13, Monday, 31 August, NSRI Durban duty crew and the KZN Surf Rescue network were activated following reports of a man in distress on the Umgeni River, Durban North.

Eyewitness reports indicated that a man was caught in the incoming tide on the Umgeni River and he was being swept upstream in the vicinity between the 2 roadway bridges.

NSRI Durban rescue swimmers, eThekwini Municipal lifeguards, eThekwini Municipal Coastal Water members and Netcare 911 ambulance services were responding.

On an NSRI rescue swimmer, eThekwini Municipal Coastal Water and eThekwini lifeguards arriving on the scene the adult male casualty was being assisted by 2 bystander Good Samaritan’s, an adult male – who had paddled out on a surf-ski, and a teenager – who had swum out, to assist.

Together the 2 Good Samaritans had secured the casualty man at a sand bank, about 50 meters into the river, and the casualty man was then swum to the shoreline by the teenager, led by the man on the surf-ski.

The man was medically assessed and not injured he required no further medical care. NSRI gave the man a lift into Durban and he has gone on his way.

It appears that the local adult casualty man, a Shembe, was engaged in a baptising in the shallow shoreline at the Umgeni river mouth when he was caught in the incoming Spring tide and he was being swept upriver in the incoming tide.

Local security members, who witnessed the incident, were following the casualty man upriver, along the river banks, and shouting to attract attention, raising the alarm.

Locals at the Kingfisher Canoe Club, and a man fishing on the river banks between the 2 bridges, heard the commotion and they sprang into action.

Roland Theron, of Blue Lagoon fishing club, fishing between the 2 bridges, alerted by the security guards shouting, and seeing the man drifting upstream, called NSRI raising the alarm.

Local man Njabulu Zondi, a car guard at Kingfisher Canoe Club, seeing the man drifting past King Fisher Canoe Club, and having just assisted local paddler and amputee Tony Botes, of Crusaders Canoe Club, to recover his surf-ski after Tony had completed his usual afternoon paddle – he stopped Tony, who was driving out the parking area, and told Tony to please re-launch his surf-ski to go to the mans aid.

Njabulu helped Tony re-launch his surf-ski while also phoning NSRI to escalate the alarm.

Without hesitation Tony launched his surf-ski and reached the man about 50 meters from the river bank, about 400 meters upstream.

The man was clearly in distress, Tony told NSRI. The man tried to hold onto the surf-ski but Tony paddled away from him, realising if his surf-ski capsizes they are both going to be in trouble.
Gently talking to the man, encouraging him to float on his back to stay afloat, Tony was showing the man that he only has one leg and that they were there to help each other but that the man cannot cling onto his surf-ski or they would both be in trouble.
The casualty man complied by gently floating on his back, although occasionally rolling over, to which Tony would shout to him to again to float on his back.
Fortunately the man kept complying and he was drifting and floating until they reached a shallow sand bank where the man could stand in waist deep water, at times in chest deep water, with Tony issuing him encouraging words.

Local matriculant, Cole Nienhuser, age 18, of Clifton College, also a paddler and with former lifeguarding experience, who had just been gym training at the Kingfisher Canoe Club gym, he had also seen the commotion, and seeing a man on a surf-ski nearing the casualty man in the middle of the river, he stripped down to his shorts and he swam out to help.

On Cole reaching the casualty man and the surf-skier – who he then noticed that the surf-skier is a friend of his dad – Cole introduced himself to Tony, and also quietly but forcefully spoke to the casualty man – who was now partially standing on the shallow sand bank in chest deep water, and after Cole hearing that they could not use Tony’s surf-ski as floatation, for fear of the surf-ski capsizing, encouraging the man with soothing words, together, they came up with a plan to use as much of the shallow sand banks as possible and to swim through the deep sections, to wade and swim the casualty man back to shore.

Cole and Tony guided the man along the shallow sand bank, they were in waist deep water, with Cole explaining to the man how he would hold onto him, using lifeguard techniques, when they reached deeper water, and with Tony leading them on his surf-ski.

Reaching the deep section of the river Cole took a hold of the casualty man and swam him through the deep section of the river, using his lifeguarding techniques from experience, and they reached the shoreline where Njabulu and Roland were on hand to help them to get the man out the water and Njabulu helped Tony with his surf-ski.

At that stage rescue resources were arriving on the scene.

NSRI has reached out to the casualty man, he is doing well and he has expressed his deep appreciation to his rescuers.

NSRI has commended the local security members for drawing attention to the incident and fisherman Roland Theron who made the first emergency call.

We commend the quick thinking of the three men, Njabulu Zondi for stopping Tony Botes and for helping Tony launch his surf-ski and for also phoning NSRI, and the swift actions of Good Samaritans Tony Botes and Cole Nienhuser whose efforts saved the man’s life.