A dedicated security officer on the South Coast, Winston ‘Whiskey’ Lemon from Lazer 911 Security, risked his life to recover a body floating in the shore break at Oslo Beach on March 22.

Lemon rushed to North Road, Oslo Beach after receiving a call from his control room that beachgoers had seen a body. Risking his life, Lemon jumped into the water from the rocks.

“It was high tide and the water was rough. When I got close to the body, a wave picked it up and I went underneath the wave. I reached for the leg but the current slammed me onto the rocks. I hurt my foot and hip and I couldn’t reach the body. Within seconds the body drifted further into the ocean. I was so close, but the current was too strong. I was hoping to bring some closure to a family.”

Hendrik Gericke of Mi7 uses a drone at first light.

Saps Ugu District Communications office said officers from Port Shepstone Search and Rescue, K9 Search and Rescue, NSRI Shelly Beach, Lazer 911 and Mi7 were called out to a fishing spot after reports of a body between the rocks and backline.

Glen Preston, newly appointed NSRI Shelly Beach station commander said an alert was issued by Lemon, who had reported seeing a body floating in the shore break.

Volunteers from NSRI Shelly Beach search for the body at sea.

Preston said the duty crew was activated, and rescue craft R20 was launched at about 18:34 in an effort to locate and recover the body.

Saps Search and Rescue conducted a shoreline search and fired illumination flares to assist crews scanning the water.

Glen Preston, newly appointed NSRI Shelly Beach station commander.

“After about an hour on scene, the search was called off and crews returned to base,” Preston said.
The next morning, Hendrik Gericke of Mi7 assisted by deploying a drone to continue the search from the air, while rescue teams remained on standby. However, no further sightings were made.

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