Human Interest
Man swims to shore, hikes, finds phone to save dad in ocean─── 08:44 Fri, 28 Apr 2017
Cape Town – When a boat capsized off Richards Bay on Thursday morning, a man did not hesitate to spring into action to save his dad hanging onto the upturned hull, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
The five-metre boat had capsized with two people on board around 07:00, said spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
The 20-year-old son managed to swim 600 m to reach shore, before hiking and tracking down someone with a cellphone to raise the alarm.
He reported last seeing his dad, 49, holding onto the hull about half a nautical mile offshore.
Lambinon said a rescue team was activated just before 10:00.
They found the dad with no injuries and transferred him onto the rescue craft.
The NSRI righted their boat and towed it to Richards Bay.
The pair, from Leandra in Mpumalanga and both members of the Zululand Yacht Club, were reunited.