THE FUSE

When a snorkeller got into trouble at Jabula Beach, and a pink rescue buoy was missing in action, a safari guide jumped in with a wooden log and saved the day!

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (12 February 2026) – An afternoon of snorkelling took a dangerous turn for a Polish tourist visiting Jabula Beach in St Lucia on Monday.

The NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated after eyewitnesses reported a drowning in progress. One bystander raised the alarm by calling the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre after finding the emergency number displayed on a pink rescue buoy pole.

With rescuers still on the way, a hero stepped in! Reuben van der Nest, a 24-year-old safari guide from Hoedspruit, had noticed the man struggling in the water. He rushed to find the NSRI pink rescue buoy, but it was missing.

With no rescue float available, a nearby family sprang into action. They had found a wooden log, roughly two metres long, on the beach. The father handed it to Reuben, who immediately launched into the water with the log.

Another unidentified man, believed to be part of the tourist group, was already in the water helping the snorkeller stay afloat. Together, using the buoyancy of the log, they managed to bring the man safely back to shore.

NSRI medics assessed the tourist on the beach and confirmed that, aside from exhaustion, he was not injured and required no further medical assistance.

“NSRI has commended Good Samaritan Reuben van der Nest, age 24, from Hoedspruit, for his quick thinking and the ingenuity of using the make-shift floating device (in the form of the wooden log) and we commend the unidentified man who assisted in this rescue of the Polish tourist. Their combined efforts contributed to saving the Polish man’s life.” says NSRI Station Commander Melinda Snyman.

Thanks to an eyewitness who raised the alarm, a friend who kept the snokeller afloat, a family that found a log, and a heroic safari guide, the situation ended on a safe note.

The NSRI are appealing to the public not to remove NSRI pink rescue buoys from their poles unless intending to use the rescue floatation pink buoy in a critical life-saving emergency.

“These simple pieces of equipment are often the difference between panic and survival.”

Sources: NRSI.

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:

Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.