November 2024

Here is another account from Fidelus Mongella, one of our lifeguards who also helped in the boat rescue:

"I was on duty, I was in the water, the waves were high. I kept feeling I could see something in the middle of those waves. I kept trying to slowly get closer, a little afraid because I didn’t know if it was a person or some sort of dangerous creature. The waves were so big I don’t think I thought it was possible for there to be a person swimming there. Eventually I realised there was a young man there. He was a very strong swimmer and had come very far out. On his way back he got stung on the upper arm by a jellyfish. He tried to continue swimming with his one good arm while the other one swelled up. Like a balloon. But he had swum so far, and the tide came up, the waves were high – he just didn’t have the strength to get through. It took me some time to establish he was a person and then getting to him through those waves was tough. I had to tie the rescue board to my leg and swim to him to get there on time. Luckily he was conscious and a strong swimmer so we got him on the rescue board and I swam behind to propel us out. When we got to shore, I could see his arm was in a bad way so I told his people to get him to the hospital. He was too busy trying to thank me. They all came back a few days later to thank me again."