‘LET’S PRETEND WE’RE ON A WATER SLIDE'

Lifeguards often have to find novel ways to help people, especially children who find themselves in trouble in the water. One lifeguard’s actions will forever be etched in the mind and heart of a little girl he helped during the December holidays. By Wendy Maritz

OVER THE 2021/22 summer season, the NSRI Lifeguard Unit and NSRI-trained municipal lifeguards had their largest ever presence on beaches around the country. Kitted in red and yellow, and based at bright gazebos with flags indicating safe swimming areas, the lifeguards busied themselves educating beachgoers, keeping an eye on people swimming and assisting those who got into difficulty. They were a welcome presence, for locals and holiday makers, many of whom noted they felt so much safer with the lifeguards on the beaches. We know this from the flood of letters NSRI Head Office received during and after the holiday season. Many of these singled out special individuals who had made a marked impression, not only by helping people in difficulty to safety, but doing so in a remarkable way.

The Van der Walt family from Gauteng was on holiday in Sedgefield. It’s something they do every year, as Nadia van der Walt’s sister, Jessica, lives in the town, and holiday time means family time. On 30 December, Nadia, her husband, Fanie, their daughter, Liamica, and Jessica went down to the beach and settled down at a spot near the lagoon mouth. Nadia recalls that Jessica, who frequents the beach fairly often, was thrilled to see that there were lifeguards on duty.

Lifeguards Xolani Qakatayo, Jaylene Engelbrecht and Leith Wardlaw with lifeguard trainer Mike Woods.

‘The water at the lagoon mouth was quite calm,’ Nadia says, so she, Fanie and Liamica, equipped with floaties, paddled their way across to the other side. ‘The idea was to paddle straight back again,’ she says. But, after reaching the bank, the family noticed the water becoming increasingly rough. ‘It was very unsettling,’ Nadia says, ‘and we didn’t want to risk going back, especially with Lia. Then we realised we were the only people on this side of the lagoon, and everybody was looking at us.’ Nadia could see the lifeguards helping people out of the lagoon on the main beach side. This quick-rising turbulent water had caught quite a few people off guard.

Sensing danger, Lia began to cry. ‘She was super-scared,’ Nadia says. But, thankfully, a lifeguard had seen the stricken family, and signalled to them to sit tight; he’d come for them as soon as he’d helped the people on his side of the lagoon to safety.

Lia having fun with her dad, Fanie.

The water, in fact, was estimated to be flowing at around 25km/h, so the decision to wait for help was the right one. The lifeguard, Leith Wardlaw, had just assisted another family with a young child. ‘It was spring tide and high tide, so the water was flowing fast,’ he recalls. One of my fellow lifeguards said there were more people stranded on the other side, so I went upstream, swam across the turbulent water to reach the family, and offered to escort them back across the river.’ Nadia and Fanie explained to Lia that the lifeguard was there to help them, but she was inconsolable.

‘I was not prepared to take a distressed child across dangerous waters,’ Leith explains. ‘So I knelt down in front of her and said, “Hello, my name’s Leith, what’s yours?’’ She did not reply and her mom said that her name was Liamica and that I could call her Lia. I then said, “Well, hello, Lia, are you scared?” She was still crying and didn’t answer. I continued, “I just helped another boy, about your age, across the river and we actually had a lot of fun.” She looked interested and stopped crying. “Have you ever been on a water slide?” I asked. She shook her head and her mom reminded her about the time they went water-sliding. I said, “Well, this is gonna be just like a water slide and we’re gonna have a lot of fun. Are you ready?” She nodded her head and seemed to stop crying.

‘I guided the family to an eddy formed by a sand bank where the water was calmer. I told Lia to hold on to the torpedo buoy while we edged into the water and as soon as we got in, she started laughing. We calmly floated downstream while crossing. I assured Lia that we were safe while crossing and when I asked her age, she said that she was five years old. We were deposited a few hundred metres downstream, and once I was sure that the family was safe, I left to go assist with more rescues.’

The relieved family were reunited with Jessica, who had watched events unfold with some concern. Little Lia, now safe thanks to ‘lifeguard Leith’ could not stop talking about what had happened. Nadia finds it miraculous that her child, who had been quite hysterical, had been calmed down by the gentle lifeguard. ‘In the end she was chatting to him and laughing, and probably didn’t even notice we were crossing the river,’ Nadia smiles. ‘And I can’t believe he’s only 18 years old!’ she adds.

Lia having fun on the beach at Sedgefield.

‘What I saw on the beach that day just amazed me,’ she says. ‘One moment the water was calm, the next it was a mess. The lifeguards helped a lot of people that day.’

Leith attributes the success of the rescues to the lifeguard team on duty. ‘We executed 30 rescues in the span of two hours. We would not have been so successful on that day, or any day, if it were not for the team,’ he says.

Nadia and Lia.

It was a memorable day for sure, but for Leith it was quite special that Lia asked her mom to please take her to him to say thank you and goodbye before they left Sedgefield after their holiday. ‘It meant a lot as she is quite shy,’ Leith shares.

‘Lia didn’t stop talking about “lifeguard Leith” for the rest of our time in Sedgefield,’ Nadia says. The mom of two will forever be grateful to Leith, but the bigger picture impresses her as well. ‘The lifeguards were so attentive; having them there makes you feel safe, especially if you have children. It changes the whole beach experience,’ she enthuses.

For Leith, a Sedgefield local, lifeguarding is hugely rewarding. Depending on conditions, there are usually between two and five lifeguards on duty. On quieter days, when beach attendance is low, the lifeguards often engage with the children on the beach. ‘Entertaining the kids on calm days is really fun, especially splashing around with the small ones,’ he says. ‘Helping people is why we do this,’ he says, but also admits that swimming in rough water to assist people is quite thrilling. Overall, lifeguarding reinforces the idea that it’s better to prepare for and prevent hazardous situations than having to take part in a rescue or administer first aid. ‘Lifeguarding is a job that requires constant observation and alertness to ensure that when an incident occurs it is noticed and dealt with as soon as possible. Competency in one’s skills and knowledge are important to ensure maximum safety on the beach or other water area. The job can be a lot of fun, with a new adventure every day and many interesting people to meet,’ he concludes.

Heroes don’t necessarily have to wear capes, sometimes they’re dressed in red wetsuits… One little girl certainly thinks so.

‘What I saw on the beach that day just amazed me,’ she says. ‘One moment the water was calm, the next it was a mess. The lifeguards helped a lot of people that day.’