A 17-year-old Dainfern College pupil says he “snapped into hyper focus” when he realised a man pulled from the sea at Kei Mouth had no pulse and was not breathing, triggering a dramatic rescue that ultimately saved a police officer’s life.
Speaking to The Citizen, James Smith said he knew immediately the situation was critical when the swimmer was brought ashore on 16 December during the school holidays.
“When I felt for a pulse and checked his chest, I realised he wasn’t breathing, and there was no pulse,” James said. “In that moment, everything changes. You’re no longer trying to keep someone alive, you’re trying to bring them back to life.”
‘I don’t see myself as a hero’
James and his family were holidaying in the Eastern Cape when a morning walk along the beach turned into an emergency.
“I saw one person who was much further out than everyone else. People normally stay close to the shoreline there. I then noticed the lifeguards standing up and looking towards the water, and we realised something was wrong,” he said.
The swimmer, Singita (surname unknown), a 31-year-old police officer, was later pulled from the sea after being submerged for about eight minutes. He showed no signs of breathing or circulation.
As lifeguards struggled against a strong current, two local teenage boys swam out to help retrieve the man.
“The lifeguards were taking two steps forward and one step back. Two local boys went in with their own rescue equipment, and without them, I don’t think we would have gotten him out.”
“I don’t see myself as a hero. Everyone there played a role, especially the Baisly boys that helped to retrieve him from the water. That’s what saved his life,” James added.
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‘Doubt that the patient was going to recover’
Once on the beach, James, who holds a Level 3 First Aid certificate and a Basic Life Support qualification, took control of the emergency response.
“There was a moment of hesitation where I realised how serious it was,” he said.
“Then I just snapped into a space where I was hyper-focused. I went straight into training mode.”
James immediately instructed bystanders to call an ambulance and fetch an automated external defibrillator (AED) while he began CPR.
“The first thing that went through my mind was that we needed an ambulance as quickly as possible. Then it was CPR and getting an AED down to the beach.”
He performed CPR for 15 minutes before rotating with others. Under his guidance, lifeguards used an aspirator to clear water from the man’s airway, and James later inserted an oropharyngeal airway device to improve airflow. CPR continued in rotation for nearly two hours.
“For the first half hour, there was no pulse at all,” he said. “He was blue and swollen, and water was coming out of his mouth. It didn’t look promising, but we just kept going.
“After the fourth or fifth round of CPR, when I was checking for a pulse, I was thinking that going this long with no pulse, I highly doubt that the patient was going to recover,” James added.
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Recognition for bravery
When paramedics arrived from East London almost two hours later, James briefed them and continued assisting as they stabilised Singita and transferred him to hospital.
A week later, Singita was discharged with no neurological damage. He later met James to thank him in person.
“I’m just glad he got to see his family for Christmas,” James said.
James was later invited to assist lifeguards with first aid training and emergency equipment reviews.
He was honoured by the Kei Mouth Police Station and awarded the Freedom of the Town by Ward 5 councillor Zuko Patuluko, becoming the first recipient in the region.
“I don’t see myself as a hero. Everyone there played a role, from the people calling the ambulance to those bringing blankets. That’s what saved his life.”
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