The National Sea Rescue Institute has lauded a Potchefstroom University student, originally from Durbanville, Cape Town, for helping to save the life of a woman caught in rip currents offshore of Die Poort in Mossel Bay.

The NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated following multiple calls from bystanders on Thursday afternoon (16 January), of a drowning in progress.

A 52-year-old woman from Riversdale, who was visiting a friend in Mossel Bay, was swimming at Die Poort when she was caught in strong draft currents. It’s believed she failed to grab a hold of the safety ropes, stationed at Die Poort in the water, before being swept out to sea by rip currents and then swept by sea currents across the shoreline towards The Point.

Eyewitnesses then raced to Big Blue Restaurant pleading with staff and patrons to raise the alarm.

The NSRI says a group of Potchefstroom students, who were on holiday, overheard the commotion and immediately offered assistance, running down to the shoreline.

One of the students, 20-year-old Jaco du Plessis, saw the lady in distress and launched into the water, swimming towards her while his friends followed their position along the shoreline.

Jaco reached the woman as she was approaching the rocky shoreline, near The Point, and he assisted her, guiding her towards the rocky shoreline, and then assisting her onto the rocks once they reached the shoreline.

By that stage, NSRI rescue swimmers were arriving on the scene and they joined Jaco’s friends, and together they assisted the lady and Jaco to get safely up onto the rocks.

Once they were on the rocks they assisted the lady to a safer area where more emergency services were arriving on the scene.

The 52-year-old woman was treated at the scene before being transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

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