Cape Town - Two South Africans have been hailed for not hesitating to act when they jumped into the water of a Hawaii harbour to assist in the rescue of two women from a sinking car.
NSRI Hout Bay rescue swimmer Martin Wesemann, on holiday in Hawaii, along with his South African friend Sean Hutchinson, living in Hawaii, and a fellow sailor assisted the women from a car that appeared to accidentally drive down a boat slipway into the Honokohau Marina and Small Boat Harbour in Kailua-Kona, on Saturday.
Wesemann said he and friends had returned from a cruise on Hutchinson’s boat.
“We were on the boat next to the slipway when we noticed the vehicle, with a female driver and a female passenger, drive past us down the slipway without pausing and the vehicle entered the water before floating further into the harbour and begin to sink.
“Both ladies were preparing to escape through the vehicle’s front windows and naturally Sean, and our fellow sailor Tony, and myself jumped into the water to assist them.
“We were able to help them to escape the sinking vehicle, through the front driver and front passenger windows, getting them both safely to shore without incident.”
Police, fire and rescue services and an ambulance arrived promptly and by that stage Wesemann had established a towline to the vehicle using a rope. The towline was established to the axle under the car, under water.
“The two ladies were not injured and we believe the vehicle navigation system may have accidentally led them to drive down the slipway.
“We were in the right place at the right time to help them,” said Wesemann.
Cape Times