Hout Bay rescue swimmer helps drowning women in Hawaii
A Hout Bay rescue swimmer and racing cyclist, Martin Wesemann, who is on holiday in Hawaii and fellow South African, sailor Sean Hutchinson, who lives there, helped in the rescue of two women from a car sinking in a Hawaiian harbour, according to National Sea and Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesman, Craig Lambinon.
On Saturday April 29, Mr Lambinon said in a media release, the two women who are believed to be sisters, appeared to have accidentally driven down a boat slip-way into the Honokohau Marina of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Mr Wesemann, a NSRI rescue swimmer and friends had returned from a cruise on Mr Hutchinson's boat.
“We were on the boat next to the slip-way,” said Mr Wesemann, “when we noticed the vehicle, with a female driver and a female passenger, drive past us down the slipway without pausing. The vehicle entered the water before floating further into the harbour and beginning to sink. We immediately jumped into the water.”
He said both women were preparing to escape through the vehicle’s front windows.
They managed to get them safely to shore without incident. Police, fire and rescue services and an ambulance arrived promptly.
By that stage they established a tow-line to the vehicle, using a rope tied to the axle.
Mr Wesemann believes the vehicle navigation system may have accidentally led them to drive down the slip-way.
An Inside Edition video captures the moment. In that video, which can be seen at https://www.insideedition.com/media/videos/hawaii-bystanders-jump-into-water-to-save-2-women-in-nearly-submerged-vehicle-81215, Mr Wesemann is wearing a grey shirt, Mr Hutchinson is in the black shirt and their friend is wearing the red shirt.