By Nomangesi Mbiza
A Sun Valley man is looking for two strangers who saved him from drowning so that he can say a heartfelt "Thank you!" for the best Christmas present he's ever had - his life.
Carlisle Johnson, 29, narrowly escaped death after being caught in the notoriously strong currents at Kogel Bay beach on Tuesday.
Johnson, who had been with his cousin, said on Thursday that it was the first time he had visited the popular but dangerous beach on the False Bay coast past Gordon's Bay.
The men had seen that the the sea was rough and had decided not to go in too deep. His cousin had gone back to the shore, leaving Johnson swimming on his own.
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When he realised he was in trouble, Johnson said he had tried to swim back "but my legs couldn't touch the ground".
While the heavy waves kept throwing him around, he could only think of his eight-year-old daughter, Che.
Then he saw a man with a board coming towards him.
"He told me to climb on, but with my weight I didn't think I could. Then another guy came and they both helped me out," he said.
Johnson did not have a chance to thank the two men because he hadn't been in a state to do anything, he explained.
"I lay on the beach motionless for two hours. I remember shaking their hands but I can't remember what they look like and I don't know their names."
"I don't know what else I could ask for for Christmas because I got my life as a gift," he said.
He was not going to the beach anytime soon - and would "never" go back to Kogel Bay.
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This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on December 19, 2008
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