City hero in sea rescue operation
Published: October 10, 2005
Pretoria’s Sean Gilliland was one of five men who became unexpected heroes at the weekend when they managed to rescue two families off Kosi Bay after their boat capsized.
Gilliland, who works in Hatfield, and five colleagues were among a group of investment bankers who had gone to Kosi Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal for a conference.
They had been out fishing on Saturday afternoon, and were on their way back when they came across a man in a life-jacket in the water.
“The water was rough. We came across a man floating in the water and when we pulled him up he was hysterical, saying his family needed to be helped,” said Gilliland.
They later discovered the families about 5km off-shore, hanging on to their capsized boat.
National Sea Rescue Institute spokesman Craig Lambinon said there were four adults, five children and a six-month-old baby, believed to be from Graaff-Reinet and Rustenburg.
Gilliland said they had been in the choppy, cold water for around two hours.
The mothers and children were sitting on top of the boat and the men where clinging on to their boat in the water.
“They were in a state of deep shock. The women were crying.
“We just took everyone aboard our boat, which was luckily big enough, and wrapped them in blankets to get them warm,” said Gilliland.
The rescuers took the victims back to their lodge, where they were treated for shock.
Gilliland said he didn’t do anything special – only what he could at that moment.
Lambinon said that when the report came through about a boat that had capsized, the NSRI was immediately mobilised, as were police divers from Durban and surrounding areas.
“As we headed out we heard that they had all been rescued and no assistance was required,” said Lambinon.
He added that they followed up on the condition of the people rescued at the lodge, and found that they were all “safe and fine – just a bit exhausted”.
“They were very grateful to their rescuers.
“If they hadn’t decided to take a different route home because of the weather – they would not have found the man,” said Lambinon.
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