A British man, now living in Cape Town, has been commended for saving the life of a child at Muizenberg Beach.
Sadly a teenager drowned in the same incident on Saturday.
Archie Moberly was surfing when some kids pleaded with him to help their two friends in trouble.
Without hesitation, Archie paddled on his longboard towards the boys who were separated in the surf zone.
He rescued one of them, believed to be 12 or 13, and the boy pointed out to where his teenage friend could be seen in distress in the water.
Leaving the boy on the longboard, Archie swam towards the teen but he disappeared underwater before he could reach him.
He searched for the teen, a 16-year-old boy from Makhaza, but there was no sign and Archie retreated towards the beach, with the rescued child.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon says services were activated just before 10am and they launched an air, sea and shoreline search for a missing boy.
Lambinon explains: “The teenager was spotted submerged under water, in the surf zone, by the EMS/AMS SkyMed rescue helicopter.
“Lifesaving SA (LSA) rescue swimmer was deployed from the SkyMed rescue helicopter, into the surf zone, where the LSA rescue swimmer reached and recovered the teenager from underwater and he was joined on the scene, in the surf line, by COCT lifeguards using Malibu rescue boards.
“Police have opened an inquest docket.
Meanwhile, the body of a 28-year-old man from Woodstock is yet to be found after he was caught in a rip current at Sonwabe Beach on January 1.
Over the weekend, the man’s family held a prayer at the beach in the hope that his body will be found.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za