South Africa: Dramatic rescue after men swept out to sea

Two men were washed off the breakwater at Kalk Bay Harbour and injured, one of them seriously, seconds after fishermen had yelled at them to get clear.

As the Mpumalanga men, 25 and 30, continued walking along the wall on Saturday evening a monster wave - estimated to be higher than nine metres - swept them into the water. It is believed the men cannot speak English.

Onlookers watching five southern right whales frolicking in the bay were shocked by the sight of the men flailing frantically in the rough seas while three local heroes raced to their rescue.

Darren Zimmerman, the National Sea Rescue Institute's Simon's Town station commander, said a vacuum caused by high swells had quickly sucked the men out of the harbour and into the sea. "They obviously did not realise how big the waves were."

Zimmerman estimated that the men, whose names have not yet been released, were in the water for 10 or 12 minutes before they were rescued.

George Mandalios, of Kalky's fish shop, jumped into his boat, Starlife, with two crew as soon as he saw the wall of water knock the men into the harbour.

"I took a great risk, but I could not sit and wait for the helicopters," said Mandalios.

A huge wave had knocked him into the harbour last year, "so I know how terrible it is".

In the race to reach the men, "I almost went into the rocks," Mandalios said.

He considered himself "very lucky" to have made it back safely.
"I would do it again without thinking," Mandalios said.

"I know the water, so I took a chance."

A longboard surfer, who paddled his board through huge waves to get to the men, is one of two unnamed heroes involved in the rescue. Once he had helped get the men on the boat, the surfer had to brave the waves again to get his board, said Philip Massie, who photographed the drama.

Another unnamed hero plunged fully clothed into the water to help with the rescue.

By the time the NSRI arrived, the two men had been pulled to safety. They were taken to False Bay Hospital.

One of them has been moved to Victoria Hospital and his condition is serious but stable.

The other was discharged.

Pat Stacey, Kalk Bay harbour master and chief Marine and Coastal Management inspector for False Bay, said: "We have not had swells like these for a good couple of years."

Anticipating hazardous conditions after Friday's storm, Stacey moved a fleet of crayfish boats from Kalk Bay to Simon's Town.
Stacey said there was a sign on the harbour wall warning people to stay off it in rough weather. An iron gate that could be locked in dangerous conditions had been removed for repairs, he said.

The South African Weather Service confirmed that offshore swells of up to nine metres spawned giant waves from Löderitz in Namibia to the Wild Coast.


Anyone with information about the unnamed heroes may contact the Cape Times at ctnews@ctn.independent.co.za or 021 488 4713/23/20.

Source: www.capetimes.co.za