Durban — A woman survived a near-drowning at the Whalebone pier in uMhlanga on Monday afternoon, after she was swept out into the mid-break after losing her footing in the shore break.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said that at 5.40pm, Netcare 911 responded to a drowning at the Whalebone pier in uMhlanga, north of Durban.
Herbst said reports indicate that a woman was swept out into the mid-break after losing her footing in the shore break.
He said that the public who had witnessed the event jumped into the water to rescue her after noticing she had disappeared underwater.
“A search was done by members of the public who rushed to her aid, where she was found submerged in the water.
“The unresponsive woman was successfully brought to shore where lifeguards were able to start treating her,” Herbst said.
“The patient who had a pulse but barely breathing was resuscitated on the beach.”
Herbst said that when paramedics arrived at the scene, an emergency care practitioner took over the treatment.
“The unconscious woman had severe difficulty in breathing, with sea water continuously being evacuated from her airway,” Herbst said.
He said that once the woman was stabilised using advanced life support techniques, she was transported by a Netcare 911 ambulance to hospital for further care.
KZN VIP Medical spokesperson Gareth Naidoo said they also responded to the scene.
Naidoo confirmed that the patient was treated by Netcare 911 paramedics after a near-drowning incident.
Naidoo said that the lifeguards noticed the victim in distress and managed to recover her from the water before calling for emergency medical teams.
Daily News