When Samuel Allerton reached the drowning man in the wild seas of Kalk Bay on Saturday, he thought he had got there too late.
"I pulled his head up. He was limp and his eyes were bloodshot. I thought he was dead," Allerton said on Monday.
But Allerton and three other courageous rescuers saved holidaymaker Sahaj Yusuf with minutes to spare.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: "The NSRI swimmer was there in seven minutes. The NSRI vehicle from Simon's Town was there two minutes later. They would need another two minutes to prepare. That would have been too late. If it hadn't been for those guys, it would have become a body recovery operation."
Altaf Patel and Sahaj Yusuf, cousins from India, are staying with their uncle, Mustaq Patel, in Hazyview in Mpumalanga. They all came to Cape Town for a family wedding. On Saturday they drove to Kalk Bay harbour. While their uncle and aunt were buying fish, the cousins walked along the harbour wall.
The seas were so rough the fishing fleet, taking heed of the weather warning, was moved to Simon's Town the day before.
Patel jun, 30, who was discharged from hospital on Sunday, said: "The water came over and I fell in the sea.
"I saw it too late, so there was no chance to go back. I can swim, but my cousin is not able to."
Yusuf, who remains in intensive care at Victoria Hospital, was swept out to sea.
Allerton, a sculptor from Hogsback now in Cape Town to exhibit his work, was drinking Milo with his wife and friends at Harbour House, warming up after giving surfing lessons.
Suddenly he saw everyone running and shouting that two men had been swept off the harbour wall.
"I sprinted down the wall and saw two people in the water, one being swept out. I gave my shoes to someone and jumped in. I did not want to hit the dolosse, so waited for a swell.
"When I reached the one guy, he was face-down. I thought he was dead. It was the most terrible thing to see. I lay on my back, put my arms around his chest and squeezed to get some of the water out. He started frothing. I kept on doing it."
In a flat across Main Road, Kalk Bay, surfer and sailing instructor Matthew Mentz's girlfriend called to him that someone was in trouble.
"I saw a guy being taken out of the harbour in a rip. My girlfriend put my surfboard in my hands and I sprinted through the subway and paddled out. When I got there, the first rescuer was there. I thought the guy was unconscious or dead. The waves were breaking over him and we tried to get him onto the longboard."
Julian McLaren of Knysna, formerly at lifesaver at Winkelspruit on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, was having a few pints in the Brass Bell and joined the first two rescuers.
"When I got there I helped them keep his head above water. Then I saw the boat coming."
George Mandalios, who works at Kalkies restaurant in the harbour, was behind the till when the shouts went up.
"I said to my two crew, come, let's get those guys. It was risky, but I know the area and I knew my boat could do it."
Mandalios motored in the Star Life to the three rescuers and the unconscious Yusuf. His crew pulled them in, then the boat picked up Patel and brought the pair to shore where the paramedics were waiting.