An Atlantis dad has been hailed a hero after he risked his own life to save a drowning man at Silwerstroom Beach on the West Coast on Saturday.
Ricardo Gentle, 38, says a day out with his wife and children nearly turned tragic as he watched the man in his 20s disappear under the surf while a child screamed for help.
“I took my wife and children to the beach for the day and I was in quite deep,” he says.
“I saw a boy shouting for help but couldn’t tell if he was serious because he appeared to be playing around.
“The lifeguards were quite a distance away and as I looked, I saw the man just go under.
“He did not appear to be splashing or struggling in the water, I only saw him sink.”
BRAVE HERO: Ricardo Gentle from Atlantis.
Realising the lifeguards could not see what was happening, the brave dad sprung into action and swam in the direction of the drowning man.
“When I got to the spot, he had already begun sinking and I had to dive down to retrieve him,” says Ricardo.
“Luckily he wasn’t heavy and I got to him and used my own body as a floating device to get him into the shallow water.”
Lifeguards rushed over when they saw Ricardo trying to bring the unconscious man to shore and a large crowd gathered around the men.
“He had swallowed lots of water and I moved back because they told us to give the lifeguards space to work.
“I was relieved when I saw his chest move and he started breathing again. If he didn’t make it, I would have been traumatised,” says Ricardo.
As the man was taken away to hospital, Ricardo asked his wife to make a social media appeal for the family of the man to come forward.
RESCUE ACT: Crowd gathers as lifesavers try and revive the man at Silwerstroom Beach
“I just wanted to find out if he was OK. I got hold of his wife who said he was discharged from Somerset Hospital and was back at work.”
Ricardo says he was not told what had caused the man to drown in the first place.
“He wants to remain anonymous and I am respecting his privacy. I am happy he is alive and well.”