Bathers and divers in the Oudekraal area and along the Atlantic Seaboard have been urged to exercise caution after a seal reportedly attacked a group of divers at the weekend.
Just after 10am on Saturday, the City’s water rescue network was alerted by ER24 ambulance services of a local dive charter boat headed towards Oceana Power Boat Club (OPBC) from Oudekraal, on the Atlantic Seaboard, with injured divers onboard and requesting medical care.
“It appears that the dive charter boat, with four crew and eight adult divers, had arrived at Oudekraal where the eight divers entered the water to prepare to scuba dive.
“On entering the water to prepare to begin scuba diving, according to reports, a seal started to swim amongst the divers and began biting the divers,” NSRI said.
The boat crew were able to recover all the divers onto their boat and the alarm was raised.
Emergency and ambulance services responded to OPBC to stand-by waiting for the dive charter rigid hull inflatable boat’s arrival.
On the boat’s arrival at OPBC, two patients, a Portuguese woman and a South African woman, were treated by paramedics for bite puncture wounds.
“The Portuguese lady was transported to hospital in a stable condition by Netcare 911 ambulance.
“The South African lady was assessed by paramedics and not requiring hospitalisation she was advised to attend an emergency room or a doctor for broad spectrum antibiotics, rabies and tetanus treatment, as a precaution,” NSRI said.
Paramedics assessed a Brazilian man, a French woman, and a South African man who suffered minor scrape bite wounds. They did not require hospitalisation but were recommended to visit an emergency room or a doctor for broad-spectrum antibiotics, rabies, and tetanus treatment.
“NSRI, in cooperation with CoCT, are appealing to bathers and divers, in the Oudekraal area and along the Atlantic Seaboard to be aware of this incident and to be cautious.
“The causes of the seal's behaviour are unknown.
“The skipper and crew of the dive charter boat are commended for swiftly recovering all divers from the water and alerting the emergency services,” NSRI said.
Cape Times