Durban - Three people were reported missing after Mandeni lifeguards located their unmanned ski-boat approximately one to two nautical miles out to sea from the beach at the Tugela River mouth on Thursday.
IPSS responded to a call for a ski-boat in distress at around 2.30pm.
Spokesperson for IPSS Medical Rescue, Dylan Meyrick said lifeguards from Mandeni launched a search in conjunction with the IPSS Search and Rescue division.
Meyrick said National Sea Rescue Institute Station(NSRI) were activated from Durban, Ballito and Richards Bay, as well as numerous other search and rescue divisions from IPSS Medical Rescue.
He said beach patrols were also being conducted in the hopes that the passengers made it back to shore.
He said just before 4pm members of IPSS located all three passengers safe on the beach.
“Apparently their boat came into difficulty while attempting to beach and they were thrown from their vessel but were able to swim to shore safely and were located by members of IPSS Medical Rescue,” said Meyrick.
According to IPSS, the passengers spent hours in the water before making it back to shore.
“They spent over three hours in the water. All are exhausted, dehydrated but otherwise in good health,” he said.
