KWAZULU-NATAL. – Cole Nienhuser, an 18-year-old matric learner from Clifton College, helped rescue a man who was swept into the Umgeni River by the incoming spring tide on Monday and bring him safely to shore.
According to Clifton College, Nienhuser, an experienced rower with previous life-saving experience, was training at the Kingfisher canoe club when he noticed trouble. He immediately removed his clothes and swam into the river to help. Clifton College praised Cole for his calm, selflessness and willingness to act when it was needed.
Craig Lambinon, NSRI spokesman, says Cole worked together with Tony Botes, a local rower and good Samaritan, to keep the drowning man calm and guide him through deeper sections of the river. Botes paddled to the man in his surf skisurf skiafter local security guard Njabulu Zondi asked him for assistance. Zondi had shortly before helped Botes, who was already heading home, to get back into the water.
Botes reached the drowning man 50 metres from the riverbank and 400 metres upstream. The man was encouraged to float on his back, as he was not to hold onto the kayak, because Tony has only one leg and did not want to be overturned. He explained that they had to help each other. Cole then swam with the drowning man through a deeper section of the river while Botes guided them on his kayak. They eventually reached the shore, where Zondi and fisherman Roland Theron helped pull the man out of the water.
The NSRI said the man, who was not injured, was medically examined and required no further medical treatment. According to the NSRI, the man was taking part in a baptism ceremony in the shallow water near the mouth of the Umgeni River when he was swept away by the incoming spring tide.
The NSRI praised the local security personnel, Theron, Zondi, Botes and Cole for their swift action. The rescue service specifically said that the actions of Botes and Cole helped save the man's life.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
