A British Ironman triathlete has pulled off a heroic rescue of two drowning boys off the coast of South Africa‘s Cape Town.
Toby Finneran, 31, from Farnham in Surrey, was enjoying a Sunday stroll in the sun along Cape Town’s seafront promenade when he noticed a young boy fighting to keep his head above water out in the surf.
Risking life and limb, he dove into the water and negotiated the powerful waves, rip currents and jagged rocks of Queens Beach before pulling the desperate boy to safety.
Once out of the water, Toby quickly administered vital first aid to another teenage boy who had tried to rescue his friend, only to be battered by the sea and washed up face down on the beach.
But despite the feat of bravery, Toby told MailOnline he was surprised by the outpouring of gratitude and support he has since received.
‘I’ve had hundreds of people I’ve not spoken to in years message me to say well done. Everyone else is going crazy over it… but for me it felt weirdly normal.
‘I watched a lot of shows like Bondi Beach Rescue and have thought about something like this happening… it was a strange experience – it felt really normal to me.
‘I don’t feel like a hero… If someone is in trouble, then you should help.’
Toby Finneran, 31, from Farnham in Surrey, completed a miraculous rescue of a drowning boy
Toby has competed in Ironman triathlons and splits his time between the UK and South Africa
A photo provided by Toby shows the jagged rocks of Queens Beach where the rescue took place
Toby first noticed something was wrong when he spotted a teenager fumbling with a pink rescue buoy on the beach and quickly realised there was a figure fighting to keep his head above water in the churn.
With no regard for his own safety, Toby took the rescue buoy from the terrified teen and dove into the sea, powering out from the jagged rocks of Queens Beach and offering the buoy to the victim – a distressed boy who was a poor swimmer and had been dragged out from the shallows.
With the boy clasping onto the lifesaving aid, Toby took hold of the rope and began swimming back towards shore to pull the boy to safety – only for a swell of waves to smash into them and push them towards the rocks.
‘Before the next wave came, I quickly swam over to him, gave him the buoy, and held onto his arm.
‘I realised the same rip current that had gotten the lad into trouble was pushing us back out to sea.
‘I swam sideways further and towards one of the rocks where I was able to hold on until another set of waves came that I could use to push myself along the rocks, causing a few cuts and scratches.’
‘When we got out, he was very weak and was having problems with leg cramps, arm and chest pains.’
Toby administered first aid to his charge and the other boy whose rescue attempt failed until National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) responders arrived alongside paramedics.
Both boys were treated by emergency services, with one exhibiting symptoms of hypothermia and secondary drowning – a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when someone inhales water that irritates the lungs and causes a fatal buildup of fluid – but lived to tell the tale.
Toby saved two lives saved in the space of ten minutes – but told MailOnline that his incredible capabilities as an Ironman triathlete are still relatively novel.
Cape Town’s beaches are idyllic but are known for their dangerous rocks and strong rip currents that can pull people out to sea
‘Before the COVID pandemic I was living in a very different way and had some unhealthy habits,’ Toby said.
‘I was living in London, working in a sales job I hated because the company was acquired twice and there was a lot of political manoeuvring.
‘I have always been sporty and play a lot of cricket and rugby but I was injured and found myself eating too much and being sucked in to English drinking culture.’
Toby said the pandemic served as a great reset and prompted him to completely transform his life and health.
‘Over lockdown I started running. My initial goal was 20 minutes a day, but I quickly got locked into a positive spiral.
‘I once ran five kilometres a day for 10 days in a row, which was a massive milestone for me.
‘Then those five kilometres became seven. Seven became 10. 10 became half marathons and before long I was running marathons.
‘Then I went to Hungary to run an ultramarathon and then decided to enter an Ironman triathlon.’
Post-pandemic, the transformed Brit now lives a very different life.
Toby splits his time between the UK and South Africa, where he has launched a tech consulting business and continues to compete in Ironman triathlons while also playing cricket for a local team.
‘I think lockdown caused people to change lifestyles… it served as a wake-up call to a lot of people,’ Toby said, adding that he is now very happy with his new life in South Africa.
‘I’m here chasing the sun!’ he said.
