Durban – A surfer was rescued by lifeguards and surfers after a near drowning while surfing at Ballito beach on Sunday.
According to IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson, Dylan Meyrick said paramedics were dispatched to Ballito beach for a near drowning.
Meyrick said when paramedics arrived the man had already been pulled from the water by KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) lifeguards and fellow surfers.
He said the surfers and lifeguards were actively rendering aid.
“Reports from the scene indicate that the man began experiencing difficulty in the water when he was dumped by a large wave and subsequently hit with his surfboard,” said Meyrick.
It is suspected that the man was hit on the head with his surfboard, he said.
Meyrick said the man was under the care of IPSS Advanced Life Support paramedics and would be taken through to a nearby facility for further care.
“We would like to thank the man's fellow surfers, KDM Lifeguards and Ballito UIP members for their assistance on scene,” he said.
Last week Emer-G-Med reported that together with Netcare911 and Medi-Response, paramedics responded to a double drowning at a swimming pool in a hotel on Durban’s South Beach.
Emer-G-Med spokesperson Kyle van Reenen said upon the arrival of paramedics at the scene to girls, aged five and nine, were found in a state of cardiac arrest
“Resuscitation efforts and several advanced life support intervention methods were exhausted for over an hour, however were unsuccessful and the two girls were sadly declared dead on the scene,” he said.