‘No time to panic’, says Ballito lifeguard who rescued family at sea
An off-duty lifeguard who saved a family that got into difficulty in the water at a Ballito beach says he's relieved his efforts to get them back to shore worked.
Linda Hlophe had heard that a man was in trouble in the sea at Clarke Bay early Sunday evening.
The 44-year-old says he launched a rescue boat after spotting the bather in distress.
"When I got out there, I saw another three shouting, asking for help. I instructed them to hold on to the rescue boat until someone comes to help us. After that we saw no one coming, then we tried to make a plan to move across, where we normally set the bathing area."
Hlophe says with the four people clinging to his boat, he managed to manoeuvre the vessel back to shore after an hour.
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The lifeguard, who has worked in the profession for the last 22 years, says there was no time to panic.
"I’m an old lifeguard I have done it before, I'm not even panicking. The only thing we must do, is to think what plan we can do.
“Luckily, the sea was not rough… I feel happy If I've saved someone."
IPSS Medical Rescue paramedics assessed the two men and two women and found them to be in good health.
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