Gordon’s Bay rescue: American man saved from near-drowning incident

A 76-year-old American man was rescued on Friday, November 14, after suffering a non-fatal drowning incident while swimming near Gordon’s Bay, said the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).

According to Roan Strydom, coxswain for the NSRI Gordon’s Bay station, the rescue crew was activated at 10:04am after a woman reported that her friend was in distress on rocks near the Grille Shack, between Gordon’s Bay and Kogel Bay.

NSRI volunteers and other emergency services responded to the scene. They found the man, who had been swimming with family and friends, stranded on rocks after getting into difficulty in the water.

Mr Strydom said that because the location was far down a steep shoreline from the coastal road, paramedics stabilised the man on the rocks before securing him in a Stokes basket stretcher. NSRI crew, paramedics, EMS rescuers, and fire and rescue teams worked together to haul him up the slope to the road.

Once at the roadside, he received further treatment before being transported to the hospital in a stable condition. According to the NSRI, he has since made a full recovery.

The NSRI once again urged the public to take extra care when swimming along the coastline, where sudden changes in sea conditions can lead to dangerous situations.