TWO East London surfing mates helped save the lives of seven young rugby players on Friday afternoon.
The players, about 30 members of the North West-based Leopards Rugby team, had gone to the beach after a 19-16 win over Border.
An eighth player, Kwena Moremi, 18, drowned in the incident that has sent shock waves through the South African rugby fraternity.
The team was staying at the nearby Blue Lagoon hotel and had left the hotel for the beach at 4.30pm for a “flush out”.
Shortly after 5pm 12 players were caught in a rip current. While four young men successfully fought the current and swam to safety, eight were swept out to sea.
Two friends – Paul Proctor, 37, and Doug Copeland, 46 – had been surfski paddling about 100m from the shore when the players were caught in the current. The two told the Daily Dispatch yesterday about their rescue mission.
Proctor said: “The sea was rough and the swell was big.
“We were paddling not far from each other when we began hearing screams, and then we saw people waving and shouting for help.”
Because it was after 5pm there were no lifeguards.
“They were in the surf line, which is very dangerous territory for swimmers,” said Proctor.
Copeland said by the time they reached the players they were scattered. “Each moment wasted meant the guys were being swept further out to sea.
“Paul and I split up and I got to the two guys who were closest to each other first,” he said, adding the young players were very scared and crying.
“They got hold of my seat belt and we took about five minutes to paddle to shore. When they were safe I rushed back to sea,” he said.
By that time Proctor had managed to round up another three players but was unable to paddle them all back to shore, and three others were still stranded.
Copeland said he rounded up these three onto his boat but one, Moremi, was semi-conscious and struggling to hold on to the boat.
“I jumped into the water, put his hand over my shoulder and swam in the direction of the shore.
“We were going in circles because the tide was strong. Paul joined me, and together we got him to shore,” said Copeland.
Paramedics, who had arrived by then, tried to resuscitate Moremi.
“We took two minutes to rest,” said Proctor. By the time they arrived back on shore with the other five players, Moremi had been declared dead.
Louis du Plessis, chief executive of the Leopards Rugby Union, said Proctor and Copeland had assisted their players in time of need.
“We would like to thank them very much for what they did,” he said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Heroic rescue of 7 youths
The players, about 30 members of the North West-based Leopards Rugby team, had gone to the beach after a 19-16 win over Border.
An eighth player, Kwena Moremi, 18, drowned in the incident that has sent shock waves through the South African rugby fraternity.
The team was staying at the nearby Blue Lagoon hotel and had left the hotel for the beach at 4.30pm for a “flush out”.
Shortly after 5pm 12 players were caught in a rip current. While four young men successfully fought the current and swam to safety, eight were swept out to sea.
Two friends – Paul Proctor, 37, and Doug Copeland, 46 – had been surfski paddling about 100m from the shore when the players were caught in the current. The two told the Daily Dispatch yesterday about their rescue mission.
Proctor said: “The sea was rough and the swell was big.
“We were paddling not far from each other when we began hearing screams, and then we saw people waving and shouting for help.”
Because it was after 5pm there were no lifeguards.
“They were in the surf line, which is very dangerous territory for swimmers,” said Proctor.
Copeland said by the time they reached the players they were scattered. “Each moment wasted meant the guys were being swept further out to sea.
“Paul and I split up and I got to the two guys who were closest to each other first,” he said, adding the young players were very scared and crying.
“They got hold of my seat belt and we took about five minutes to paddle to shore. When they were safe I rushed back to sea,” he said.
By that time Proctor had managed to round up another three players but was unable to paddle them all back to shore, and three others were still stranded.
Copeland said he rounded up these three onto his boat but one, Moremi, was semi-conscious and struggling to hold on to the boat.
“I jumped into the water, put his hand over my shoulder and swam in the direction of the shore.
“We were going in circles because the tide was strong. Paul joined me, and together we got him to shore,” said Copeland.
Paramedics, who had arrived by then, tried to resuscitate Moremi.
“We took two minutes to rest,” said Proctor. By the time they arrived back on shore with the other five players, Moremi had been declared dead.
Louis du Plessis, chief executive of the Leopards Rugby Union, said Proctor and Copeland had assisted their players in time of need.
“We would like to thank them very much for what they did,” he said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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