A 22-year-old South African woman died after she was rescued from rip currents in Wilderness beach waters on Friday. At the same time, the 18-year-old teen who tried to save her is still missing at sea.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Wilderness station commander Mike Vonk said a group of university students were out swimming when rip currents developed in the surf.
“The students exited the water, but the female was caught in rip currents. The missing teenager had reportedly attempted to rescue her,” Vonk said.
NSRI rescue swimmers, the Western Cape government Health Emergency Service (EMS), George Fire and Rescue Services and Frontier Medix ambulance services responded to the incident.
NSRI rescue swimmers located the unresponsive woman past the back line of the waves in front of Views Hotel.
“The rescue swimmers initiated chest compressions while swimming her toward the shore. An NSRI rescue craft recovered her in the mid-surf break and recovered her onto the NSRI rescue craft,” Vonk said.
Paramedics and an off-duty doctor performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the woman before transporting her to a nearby hospital.
“The female patient was transported to hospital by Frontier Medix ambulance in a critical condition where doctors and nurses fought through the night to save her life. NSRI has learned that she sadly passed away during the night after all efforts to save her were exhausted,” Vonk added.
According to NSRI, both students are believed to be from Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
A police dive unit was continuing with a search operation on Saturday.
