Cape Town - Two lifeguards from the Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club have been hailed for assisting two men and their dogs swept out to sea at Lagoon Beach.
The two men in distress, one believed to be a Milnerton resident, and the two dogs, were swept out by strong currents close to the lagoon's mouth around 5:30pm on Tuesday.
Reuben Mc Lachlan, a 22-yearold lifeguard, said he learned of the incident via the life-saving WhatsApp group.
He said when he arrived at the beach along with a fellow lifeguard, they saw the men on the far side of the lagoon, at Milnerton Beach.
Mc Lachlan then went to Milnerton Beach and reached the men near the Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club, along with another lifeguard, 26-yearold Michael Chandler.
At this point the men and dogs in distress had managed to exit the water, and Mc Lachlan and Chandler provided medical aid.
Mc Lachlan recalled that when they got to the pair, one of them was freezing and looked to show signs of hypothermia.
“We covered him with an emergency blanket and took him to our club.
“We then put him in the shower so we could get his wet clothes off and warm him up.
“We started with a cool (shower),” said Mc Lachlan.
After the ambulance was alerted, the two lifeguards remained with the man until paramedics took over.
The close encounter follows the drowning of two under-19 soccer players at Lagoon Beach more than a week ago.
Siyamthanda “Zaya” Mqolombeni and Buhle “Gora” Pantshwa, teammates at the Lokshin Spurs Football Club, were playing soccer on the beach when their ball went into the ocean.
While attempting to retrieve the ball, they were swept up by a strong rip current.
The Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club has now alerted the public about the severe dangers of the surf, particularly in the vicinity of Lagoon Beach.
The club said the lifeguards were volunteers who offered their time every year.
The club pleaded for lifeguards from the City of Cape Town to remain at Lagoon Beach throughout the year, not only during the busiest times.
The City employs seasonal beach lifeguards at the club for the summer period, who are on duty during the week, usually from the September holidays until Easter.
The City did not respond to queries surrounding the club’s request yesterday.
If anyone would like to qualify as a lifeguard, they can contact the club at Milnertonslc@gmail.com.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus