DURBAN - A man has been injured with suspected spinal injuries after the ski boat he was on capsized in St Lucia on the KZN North Coast yesterday.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said the incident took place on New Year’s Day just before 2pm.
Herbst said Netcare 911, the National Sea Rescue Institute Station 40, and the START emergency team responded to reports of a drowning at a St Lucia ski-boat launch site.
He said reports indicated that a ski boat with two occupants on board had capsized in large surf.
When rescue teams arrived on the scene, both adult males had already swum to shore with the assistance of members of the public, he said.
“Medics assessed the patients and found that one of the men had sustained suspected spinal injuries.
“The patients were treated on scene and, once stabilised, were transported by Netcare 911 ambulance to hospital for further care,” said Herbst.
He added that the boat had washed ashore and been secured by the NSRI.
Meanwhile, The Mercury’s sister publication, the Daily News, reported that lifeguards at Pipeline Beach in eManzimtoti, south of Durban, were applauded for carrying out a big rescue operation on Saturday in “massive surf” with “extreme conditions”.
A video circulating on social media shows lifeguards trying to get about 10 to 15 bathers who had been swept out to sea from a crowd of swimmers on to a boat while a crowd on the beach cheers.
THE MERCURY