NSRI seeks Good Samaritan who saved Benoni woman’s life in St Lucia, South Africa

A family on holiday in St Lucia from Benoni are alive and well today thanks to the incredible work of the NSRI, a volunteer who used to be an NSRI rescue swimmer, and an unnamed Good Samaritan.

On Monday morning, the NSRI were alerted to a drowning in progress after two sisters and their father were being swept out to sea by rip currents at the KwaZulu-Natal location.

Jan Hoffman, NSRI St Lucia station commander, said whilst the NSRI responded immediately, there happened to be a former NSRI rescue swimmer – Izan Liebrand – nearby at the time. Izan, who’s a local charter boat skipper, volunteered to assist.

Once Izan got to the scene, he discovered a 40-year-old woman who had already been rescued from the surf by the unidentified Good Samaritan who used one of the NSRI Pink Rescue Buoys which was stationed at the beach.

“Her sister and father were still in the water and a public member was using a second NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy, stationed at the same beach, to point towards where the two casualties were. They were both beyond the back breaking waves.

“Izan took the pink rescue buoy from the public member and launched into the surf where he reached the 2 casualties, the dad aged 74 and his daughter aged 42,” said Hoffman.

The pink rescue buoy was used to aid them to stay afloat, particularly for the dad who was struggling. They were then successfully rescued and brought to shore by NSRI rescue swimmers and the organisation’s rescue craft JetRib.

The two sisters were fortunately uninjured but their father was taken by Netcare 911 paramedics to hospital with symptoms of non-fatal drowning. He has since been released following a full recovery.

Izan has been commended for his swift reaction in assisting in saving the lives of the dad and one of his daughters. The NSRI says:

“The unidentified public member is commended for his efforts in saving the life of the one daughter, but he had left the scene before we could get his details and commend him. We would like him to come forward by calling NSRI Communications on 0823803800.“

The NSRI commended all those involved for their swift reaction, including members of the public who raised the alarm and bystander Dirk Spies who called the NSRI.

There are now at least 155 people whose lives have been saved by an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy.

Please support the NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute): www.nsri.org.za