[imagesource: Janine Roode Becker /Facebook]

Everyone was at the beach over this past weekend, with hot temperatures attracting people to their first taste of Summer.

A family jol at Blouberg Beach took a sudden turn, however, when a brave dad from Heideveld suddenly had to put his own life on the line to save two people from drowning.

Brandon Janeke, 28, has been hailed as a hero for his bravery, not hesitating to jump into the wild waters on Saturday to save a struggling man and woman.

“This young man named Brandon Janeka who lives in Heideveld is my hero,” wrote Janine Roode Becker in a post on Facebook. “He deserves recognition and an award for being brave.” Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis also commended the bravery of Janeka.

Mayor @Geordinhl has commended the bravery of Heideveld resident Brandon Janeka who risked his own life to save a woman from drowning off the coast of Table View on Saturday 5 October.

See: https://t.co/DbfAB9TPr4#CTNews pic.twitter.com/ZHKNSVlCff

— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) October 7, 2024

Brandon told Daily Voice that the man was trying to help the woman with a floatie but started to struggle himself because the waves were so rof.

“He couldn’t move, he was tired of the waves hitting him. He was floating and shouting for help, I went closer, and I pulled him a bit closer to me. I then went underwater to take his hand and pulled him closer, the other guys then pulled him further out.”

“It was just hectic, I almost died as well because the waves were hitting us.”

Brandon says the conditions at Bloubergstrand were anything but calm that day and his limited swimming experience added to the chaos of the moment.

“When I came to the beach, I thought to myself that the waves were hectic, [seeing] how it pulled back with a lot of force. There was also a ditch that the sand was making.”

Indeed, summer was certainly in the air this weekend, but the ocean had another story to tell, with strong surges and ocean currents visible to those on the shore. The incident happened along a stretch of Table View coastline which experiences regular rip currents and is outside of the designated swimming areas at Big Bay and Milnerton where lifeguards are based.

Brandon also pointed out that there were no lifeguards visible at the beach.

He adds: “If it was me [in trouble], I would have someone do whatever it takes to get me out of the water, no one wants to die like that.

“I can’t see another human being die. I was thinking about my child but I was also thinking, what if it was me?”

Community Medics confirmed the incident, stating that the individuals involved were in stable condition. No fatalities were reported on the day along the Table Bay coastline.

Now that the incident is over, the father says he’s not planning to revisit the popular Bloubergstrand Beach soon, saying “People should at least get a lifeguard on that beach if anyone is going to attempt to swim there.”

Ward councillor Jonathan Mills noted that lifeguard presence is mainly during peak swimming season, and the City is in the process of recruiting seasonal lifeguards.

With the festive season around the corner, the City’s got lifeguards kitted out and stationed at 29 beaches, tidal pools, and stretches of coastline from 10:00 to 18:00. So far, 241 seasonal lifeguards have been roped in and deployed to handle the rush of beachgoers.

[source:dailyvoice]