Durban – The quick actions of bystanders, who performed CPR on a man injured while swimming at Tiffany's Beach in Salt Rock on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, saved his life on Sunday.
IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Dylan Meyrick said around 5pm IPSS Medical Rescue received reports of a person who was found unresponsive in the ocean at Tiffany’s Beach.
Meyrick said on arrival of paramedics and the IPSS Search and Rescue division it was established that the man had been swimming and sustained a head injury.
The injury had resulted in the man losing consciousness in the water, he said.
“The unresponsive man had been pulled from the water by bystanders prior to the arrival of emergency services and CPR had been initiated,” he said.
Meyrick said the bystanders performed CPR on the man for ten minutes prior to the arrival of paramedics.
“On arrival of paramedics the man was found to have a pulse and to be breathing. He was then stabilised on scene by IPSS Medical Rescue,” he said.
Meyrick said once the patient was stabilised, he was transported to a nearby facility under the care of an IPSS Medical Rescue Advanced Life Support paramedic.
“Many thanks to the bystanders who most definitely saved the man’s life by initiating early CPR,” he said.
Last year, ‘The Mercury’s’ sister publication, the ‘Daily News’, reported that it took a team effort by paramedics, search-and-rescue teams and the public to dig out two youngsters who were trapped under beach sand in Salt Rock.
“The girl had been building sand castles on the beach when a notable amount of sand engulfed her. This poses a threat in respect of compartment syndrome,” said Medi Response.
Medi Response said that rescue crews worked to free the girl from the excavation as advanced life support paramedics worked to stabilise her.