Three teenagers are lucky to be alive after a fast response from a volunteer rescue swimmer on the KwaZulu-Natal coast south of Durban.
The alarm came through at about 4.15pm on Saturday, 31 October, with reports of a drowning near eNyokeni, between Umgababa and Umkomaas. Sphesihle Mngadi, a rescue swimmer with the National Sea Rescue Institute's Rocky Bay station, happened to be nearby and went straight into the surf, supported by the Amanzimtoti Surf Lifesaving Club.
On scene, he found three male swimmers aged 15 to 20 caught in rip currents and being pulled away from shore. Armed with a torpedo rescue buoy, Mngadi first helped one teenager — who could float on his back — back towards the beach, then used the buoy to bring the other two in. One of them had lost consciousness and needed urgent help; Mngadi performed chest compressions on the sand until the teen began breathing on his own again. Family members then took him to hospital for checks. The other two were unharmed. The NSRI credited the speed of the response with preventing a tragedy.
The rescue is a stark reminder for anyone planning beach time on South Africa's east coast, especially as the warmer months draw more people into the water. Rip currents are narrow channels of water flowing out to sea, and they can form even on days when the surface looks calm. Warning signs include darker patches of water, gaps in the line of breaking waves, and foam or debris moving steadily away from the beach.
The NSRI's advice is simple: swim only where lifeguards are on duty and stay between the flags, never enter the water alone, and keep an eye on how the water is moving before you get in. If you do get caught in a rip, don't try to swim straight back to shore against the current — that's how swimmers exhaust themselves. Float on your back to conserve energy, swim parallel to the beach until you're out of the pull, then use the incoming waves to help you back in. If you can't make it, raise one arm above your head and shout for help.
Even strong swimmers get caught out, and conditions can shift within minutes. Pick patrolled beaches, take local warnings seriously, and skip unpatrolled stretches altogether — a few minutes of caution beats an afternoon ending in chest compressions.
