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Rugby player drowns, 5 team mates missing
- Thread starter MickeyD
- Start date
Mila
Honorary Master
RIP
sand_man
Honorary Master
RIP current is mean!!!!
Azbubu
Honorary Master
I see what you did there.
MickeyD
RIP
Update:
Port Elizabeth - It has emerged that the rugby players who died after being swept out to sea by rip-currents at Port Elizabeth’s Blue Water Bay, had gone for a swim to cool off after a training session.
One player’s body has been found and five of his Motherwell club team-mates are missing, presumed drowned.
The team had been preparing for a SARU tournament to be played in Cape Town over Easter.
Cheeky Watson, president of the Eastern Province Rugby Union, was at the beach on Sunday where the search for the missing players continued.
"We're very sad. This is a team that came to practice and then went to cool down.
“It's really a tragedy and it touches communities as well as the whole rugby family.
“We stand by everyone who lost someone today (Sunday). I really hope the club won't disintegrate, but rather show their character by standing up."
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) also sent its condolences to the club.
"I have spoken to the president of Eastern Province Kings rugby union and members of the community today (Sunday) and this is a devastating tragedy," SARU president Oregan Hoskins said.
"These young men were preparing to compete in a SARU Easter tournament in Cape Town in a fortnight and were enjoying a carefree day on the beach with their team-mates," said Hoskins.
"To have their afternoon turned into a day of tragedy is shocking for the whole rugby community and our thoughts and prayers go out to their families."*
Earlier on Sunday the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said it had rescued 15 of 21 people who had been swept out by rip-currents earlier in the day.
"Not all of them were rugby players," said spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
Some of the 21 were members of the public.
The rescue team was alerted of the incident at around midday.
An extensive search had been launched to find the missing men.
Lambinon said three sea rescue craft, rescue rubber-ducks, a jet-ski, and a helicopter were used in the search.
Lifeguards were also swimming to check for them.
By Sunday afternoon, Lambinon said there was no sign of the five.
Lifeguards from the beach's life saving club had swum out to help when the incident took place.
"Some of the lifeguards had rescued up to three people at a time," said Lambinon.
"Of the 15 people rescued alive none were required to go to hospital although some were treated for shock and near-drowning symptoms on the beach by paramedics."
Port Elizabeth - It has emerged that the rugby players who died after being swept out to sea by rip-currents at Port Elizabeth’s Blue Water Bay, had gone for a swim to cool off after a training session.
One player’s body has been found and five of his Motherwell club team-mates are missing, presumed drowned.
The team had been preparing for a SARU tournament to be played in Cape Town over Easter.
Cheeky Watson, president of the Eastern Province Rugby Union, was at the beach on Sunday where the search for the missing players continued.
"We're very sad. This is a team that came to practice and then went to cool down.
“It's really a tragedy and it touches communities as well as the whole rugby family.
“We stand by everyone who lost someone today (Sunday). I really hope the club won't disintegrate, but rather show their character by standing up."
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) also sent its condolences to the club.
"I have spoken to the president of Eastern Province Kings rugby union and members of the community today (Sunday) and this is a devastating tragedy," SARU president Oregan Hoskins said.
"These young men were preparing to compete in a SARU Easter tournament in Cape Town in a fortnight and were enjoying a carefree day on the beach with their team-mates," said Hoskins.
"To have their afternoon turned into a day of tragedy is shocking for the whole rugby community and our thoughts and prayers go out to their families."*
Earlier on Sunday the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said it had rescued 15 of 21 people who had been swept out by rip-currents earlier in the day.
"Not all of them were rugby players," said spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
Some of the 21 were members of the public.
The rescue team was alerted of the incident at around midday.
An extensive search had been launched to find the missing men.
Lambinon said three sea rescue craft, rescue rubber-ducks, a jet-ski, and a helicopter were used in the search.
Lifeguards were also swimming to check for them.
By Sunday afternoon, Lambinon said there was no sign of the five.
Lifeguards from the beach's life saving club had swum out to help when the incident took place.
"Some of the lifeguards had rescued up to three people at a time," said Lambinon.
"Of the 15 people rescued alive none were required to go to hospital although some were treated for shock and near-drowning symptoms on the beach by paramedics."
Sensorei
Executive Member
Condolences to the families. It is a really horrible way to die. I came close to drowning after getting stuck in a rip current but was rescued. That fear was worse than any feeling I could have imagined.
Shake&Bake
Party Liaison
Shame man, condolences to the familes.
sand_man
Honorary Master
Good question.
Shake&Bake
Party Liaison
I was think about it this morning, when I first read this story.
That it's rather senseless for people to drown as a result of rip currents.
I mean no disrespect to those whom have lost their lives in this incident or others.
Perhaps its just cos I was taught as a young kid, that if I ever got caught in a Rip, that you should not fight it.
Either swim parallel to the shore or float till it loses its strength.
If people know and follow those basic principles, then you're always having a better chance of making it out.
People panic and get tired, its the exhaustion that gets you drowned and killed, not the Rip itself.
I've hardly ever heard or seen a Rip Current dragging people out 100's of meters to sea.
Even if that is a possiblity - you cannot go into open ocean waters without knowing the risks involved and what to do if you do get into a tricky siuation.
I grew up and still live a 15 min walk from the beach and have always swum in open waters.
Of the few times I do recall being caught in a Rip, I saw it as a challenge and go underwater and swim out directly against it.
Which is not the safe thing to do btw!
But because the Rip is strongest at the surface, swimming underwater's always worked for me.
I'm a strong swimmer, so always faffed about with it.
But if I were to get tired, I'd do the floaty and then swim parallel to the shore or let it spit me out at the back.
So please guys and gals - educate yourself and others about it.
Its an unneccesary loss of life which can be so easily averted
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_current
That it's rather senseless for people to drown as a result of rip currents.
I mean no disrespect to those whom have lost their lives in this incident or others.
Perhaps its just cos I was taught as a young kid, that if I ever got caught in a Rip, that you should not fight it.
Either swim parallel to the shore or float till it loses its strength.
If people know and follow those basic principles, then you're always having a better chance of making it out.
People panic and get tired, its the exhaustion that gets you drowned and killed, not the Rip itself.
I've hardly ever heard or seen a Rip Current dragging people out 100's of meters to sea.
Even if that is a possiblity - you cannot go into open ocean waters without knowing the risks involved and what to do if you do get into a tricky siuation.
I grew up and still live a 15 min walk from the beach and have always swum in open waters.
Of the few times I do recall being caught in a Rip, I saw it as a challenge and go underwater and swim out directly against it.
Which is not the safe thing to do btw!
But because the Rip is strongest at the surface, swimming underwater's always worked for me.
I'm a strong swimmer, so always faffed about with it.
But if I were to get tired, I'd do the floaty and then swim parallel to the shore or let it spit me out at the back.
So please guys and gals - educate yourself and others about it.
Its an unneccesary loss of life which can be so easily averted
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_current
akescpt
Honorary Master
RIP. I love watching the ocean but usually tend to stay near the shore. the waves on the tv report were hectic.
Kornhub
Blackburn Fan
Heard that the life guards could do nothing since it happened so fast
I know that not to be true, entirely. Rip currents can most certainly pull a swimmer down somewhat. It won't drag you down to the bottom of the ocean but strong rip currents can create a vortex effect where it meets regular currents. It can pull you down very sharply but then release you. I know of someone who drowned due to inhaling a huge amount of water when she was sucked under.
The rest of the advice is solid though, except for the bit where they state that one should tread water. Good luck to anyone trying to tread water in a rip current. You'll just be toppled over...
This last new year a 9 yr old boy was washed out by a rip, body not found - makes you think, apparently kid was in waist deep water when a big wave came in and knocked him off his feet.
The local people searched for 2 days for his body BUT they just stood around at the spot he got washed out at?
Those that knew the area and had fished there for years knew the kid was shark bait, I have seen BIG stuff swim behind the breakers.
I never go over waist deep anymore, not after seeing a +-3m Zambezi shark swim near us, now that's frightening, it might have tracking another shark being caught further down the beach we suspect.
Once the water got too shallow the thing hightailed it out there and so did the rest of us.
The local people searched for 2 days for his body BUT they just stood around at the spot he got washed out at?
Those that knew the area and had fished there for years knew the kid was shark bait, I have seen BIG stuff swim behind the breakers.
I never go over waist deep anymore, not after seeing a +-3m Zambezi shark swim near us, now that's frightening, it might have tracking another shark being caught further down the beach we suspect.
Once the water got too shallow the thing hightailed it out there and so did the rest of us.
When a rip current reaches backline it usually changes direction to run parallel to the beach. On a calm glassy day you can usually see them, the water looks slightly different almost like a oil slick. The rips usually start next to rocks in a natural bay and then change direction once at backline, swimming parallel to shore at backline is not gonna help you. That's why I always advise people to swim at a 90° to a rip and if you are close to rocks pick the 90° angle that leads away from the rocks. So if the rip is going south you go east or west.
You will see surfers use these rips next to rocks, piers etc to ease their paddle out to backline as it makes it much easier. Only issue we have with rips is if they are really strong at backline which means we have to continually paddle against the rip to maintain our position at the breaking point in the surf and that gives you a helluva workout but it's part & parcel of surfing.
Many a time you will also find the rips work in a circular motion, they will suck you out and across from the one side and then bring you back to shore and across again. Some day after a long session when I'm tired I will just sit at midbreak and let the rip pull me back across and out again
Got news for you, saw a guy getting chowed in knee deep water before on tv so maybe just stick your toes in
sand_man
Honorary Master
Got news for you, saw a guy getting chowed in knee deep water before on tv so maybe just stick your toes in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pjbH5OuBc4