FHM model saves British tourists from sinking boat in dramatic Baywatch-style rescue

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | November 7, 2007 | IAN EVANS

[Stoat]

FHM model saves British tourists from sinking boat in dramatic Baywatch-style rescue

By IAN EVANS - More by this author » Last updated at 18:19pm on 7th November 2007

  A British family was rescued from a sinking ship in South Africa by a real-life Baywatch babe when a teenage model turned into a Pamela Anderson-style lifesaver.

Professional surfer-turned-model Roxy Louw spotted the family's sinking charter boat from her private balcony overlooking the upmarket Clifton Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. She phoned the coastguard - then donned her wetsuit and ran towards the beach.

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Lifesaver: Roxy Louw - the real life Baywatch babe

The 19-year-old, who was voted sixth place in FHM magazine's 100 Sexiest Women in the World table last year, dived into the water with a buoy handed to her on the white sandy shore and swam towards the boat.

On the stricken craft were Welsh couple Gareth and Jane Evans and their 11-year-old son Josh, husband and wife Justin and Cara Watt from Pretoria, and three crew members.

The five passengers had been taken on a trip round Robben Island on the boat when, according to reports, kelp got stuck in the boat's turbines bringing it to a halt. Water then poured into the V-Craft Jet boat, causing it to sink.

Lifeboats, police helicopter, ambulance, fire fighters and beach rescue service joined in the rescue off Clifton, which is one of Cape Town's most exclusive resorts where properties can cost millions of pounds.

It faces the Atlantic Ocean and the shoreline has numerous signs warning bathers about sharks.

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Roxy Louw: The surfer turned model came to the rescue

Miss Louw said: "I stood on the balcony of my little flat on the beach, and saw a boat sinking and people in the water.

"I phoned the NSRI (RNLI equivalent), ran to my room, put on my wetsuit and ran to the water. I didn't even have time to grab my surfboard.

"Although I'm not a lifesaver, I know the ocean and I'm quite a strong swimmer, because of my surfing.

"Your adrenaline, your instinct takes over. I got smashed against a rock, but my mind just repeated: 'Save the people. Save the people',."

Miss Louw was joined in the rescue by two lifesavers who had been off duty but preparing to go for a swim. One of them, Shane Fascio, who is also a paramedic, said two of the crew were struggling below the surf line and had to be pulled ashore. All the passengers wore lifebelts making their rescue easier, said Fascio. Ms Watt said although they'd lost possessions on board the craft, they were very grateful to be alive. "The boat started to sink and we had to swim. The rescue service people were fantastic. The surfer also helped us to swim to the beach."

After the rescue Mrs Evans said: "It's our last days here, but at least the dinner table conversation's going to be very interesting.

"Josh didn't say much, but he was very pleased that he had a lifejacket. He was brilliant."

She added: "I'm glad to be alive, even if I lost a shoe in the process."

Roxy Louw is a regular feature in South African gossip columns. She is the daughter of former Springbok rugby player Rob Louw and was an accomplished hockey player before she took up surfing. She has modelled for Oakley sunglasses.

The Waterfront Boat Company which runs the cruises off the Cape Town coast said the Evans, who live in Cardiff, were flying home after yesterday's drama. Yesterday Ms Louw and Mrs Watt were reunited on the beach where the Pretoria woman expressed her gratitude.

[Stoat]

Sports

Birthday: 9th June, 1987
Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa

 

Favorite Oakley Products: Thump, wetsuits, glasses, jeans, watches…

How do you see yourself?  Are you rebellious?  Quiet?  Weird?  Why? I’m a combination of them all. have a rebellious spirit. I was brought up in a house hold where we were allowed to express our emotions so our whole family are pretty strong characters. If I don’t agree or believe in something, I REBEL! I am pretty quite when I chill or meditate my mind. Weird? I’m not just weird…I’m a freak! I have a free spirit so I don’t live to set rules created by society, I create my own rules!  walk around bare foot even in malls, despite what others think! I dance when I wana dance and play when I wana play…that’s maybe why I have turned to soul surfing!

What are the things that inspire you? People that are are willing to stand on their points and that will reach the ends of the earth for what they believe in but stay humble at the same time.
 
What is the greatest lesson you have ever learned? There is no such thing as boredom…life is an adventure. There is so much to do, how be bored? There is no road to happiness, happiness is the road!

What is the greatest thing you have taught somebody else? Play life by ear, don’t stress. Everything happens for a reason. If you spend time worrying then the answers will slip by you. Live for today! Dream of tomorrow! Learn from yesterday!

What are the things or stories that encapsulate the way you live your life? The saying: ‘A candle looses nothing by lighting another’.

What are the greatest hurdles you have had to overcome in life?  Understanding who and what I am.

What do you hold the most valuable to you in life?
My religion. My family.

What are your most fond childhood memories?
Climbing rugby poles as a kid and sitting on the poles watching my dad coach youngsters who were on fire with enthusiasm and ambition. Spending a year in Italy with the family. Building tree houses and catching tadpoles in our back garden. Acting out made-up plays with my sisters, brothers and cousins on Christmas. Playing outdoor hockey...team sports.

What are the 3 biggest things you learned from your parents?
1. To see and live life to the full with a positive outlook.
2. They help me achieve all my goals and they taught me to allow myself to relax as well…Balance things out.
3. Stay humble!
4. They taught me to love and understand all different types of people and culture. They also gave me the freedom to discover and find my own spiritually.

Who is the most influential person in your life and why? 
God. He has brought me peace in life and directs me in the right directions.

What are the greatest signs you have received in life?
I drove past a car accident on the way out one day and as the ambulance lifted the body it struck me how short life is and how quickly anything could happen.
From who or what and how did they influence you going forward? Live life to the full, anything could happen anytime. Don’t miss a moment.

What makes you different than other girls or just unique?  I am very in touch with nature.  When I love, I love passionately. I don’t see difference on a social level between ages, sexes, races or classes. I learn from them all! I’m not materialistic at all. I love the more simpler things in life. I’m very adventurous and always up for a challenge.

What iother interests do you have aside from surfing?
Cooking, enjoy trying new things. Natural medicine, everything originated from nature. People and there cultures, love to listen. Rubberducking (racing fast boats) in the waves, gets my adrenaline going. Dancing, music, having a good time! Laughing.

What fears do you have?  How do you deal with them?
My largest fears are inner fears…Not living up to the standards I set myself. Heights, sharks and scary old men...TRY TO FACE THEM!
 

 

[neodad]

Now everyone’s going to want mouth-to-mouth.

[colorado tanker]

She can rescue me anytime.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

What fears do you have? How do you deal with them? My largest fears are inner fears…Not living up to the standards I set myself. Heights, sharks and scary old men...TRY TO FACE THEM!

 

Damn,     No chance for me then.

 

;-) 

[stevio]

What fears do you have? scary old men...

Oh well, it's probably for the better.

[Scotsman will be Free]

She’ll never be a successful model. Her legs aren’t toothpicks.

[Red in Blue PA]

I need resuscitation.

[Abathar]

I hope none of us freepers fall under her idea of "scary old men".

Geez, I graduated HS 4 years before she was born. That kind of takes the wind out of your sails when you think about it...

[Jeff Chandler]

Heights, sharks and scary old men...

[Bahbah]

She is just darling. And gutsy.

[fredhead]

Now why would she risk her life to rescue those people?

In her own words....

Who is the most influential person in your life and why?
“God. He has brought me peace in life and directs me in the right directions.”

[geopyg]

I hope everyone can get past her photos (what a cutie!) and see she’s got a lot of beauty on the inside too. And heroic to boot!!

[Stoat]

Conservative Babe of the week ping

Quotes:

What do you hold the most valuable to you in life?
My religion. My family.

Who is the most influential person in your life and why? 
God. He has brought me peace in life and directs me in the right directions.

[uglybiker]

...turned into a Pamela Anderson-style lifesaver.

So, she sprouted several pounds of silicone?

[wastedyears]

Like in Sandlot

[Abathar]

That’s why she is so cute, I bet those legs could lift double what most of the other models could.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

When I graduated HS my wife was in kindergarten :-)
But we didn’t meet until she was a college graduate...

[goldstategop]

An Afrikaner. She really did a good job with the rescue!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Stoat]

An Afrikaner.

And she has a pretty voice as well.  You can listen to her speak here:

roxy

[Stoat]

More on this story from The Independent Online, South Africa:

 

IOL Locals leap to the rescue at Clifton

Locals leap to the rescue at Clifton

    November 07 2007 at 07:39AM

By Karen Breytenbach

Five tourists and three crew members whose charter boat sank in high swells off Clifton 2nd Beach were rescued by two local lifesavers and pro surfer-turned-model Roxy Louw on Tuesday at noon.

Justin and Cara Watt, a couple from Pretoria, and Gareth, Jane and Josh Evans, from Wales, had been taken out to sea on a V-Craft Jet boat by a Waterfront charter company.

Kelp apparently got stuck in the turbines, and as crew members Keegan Jansen, James Thomas and skipper Roger Lawrence tried to correct it in large waves, the boat took on water and began to sink.

 

'Although I'm not a lifesaver, I know the ocean and I'm quit a strong swimmer'

The National Sea Rescue Institute, a Metro helicopter and ambulance, the Metro and SA police, the Camps Bay Community Medics, fire services, Netcare 911 and ER24 responded, but besides being a little cold and rattled, everyone made it to shore safely.

"I stood on the balcony of my little flat on the beach, and saw a boat sinking and people in the water. I phoned the NSRI, ran to my room, put on my wetsuit and ran to the water. I didn't even have time to grab my surfboard," said Louw, daughter of former Springbok rugby player Rob Louw.

Louw dived in with a buoy handed to her by a lifesaving manager on the beach.

"Although I'm not a lifesaver, I know the ocean and I'm quite a strong swimmer, because of my surfing.

"Your adrenaline, your instinct takes over. I got smashed against a rock, but my mind just repeated: 'Save the people. Save the people'," said Louw.

By that time Clifton lifesaver Shane Fascio and Llandudno lifesaver Kirsten Kingma, who were off-duty and planning to go for a swim, also noticed the people in distress from the lifesaving club's balcony on Clifton 4th Beach.

Fascio, a paramedic who runs the Camps Bay Community Medics, called the rescue services.

"We saw the boat about 500m from shore and then saw it capsizing, with only its nose sticking out. We saw people jumping off. We ran down to the boat shed and got two rescue craft."

Fascio first helped Thomas and Lawrence, who were struggling behind the surf line, since only the tourists wore lifejackets. Kingma took Jansen to shore on her rescue craft and went back, taking the skipper over from Fascio. Louw helped Watt, who had bumped her head in the sand.

 

• karen.breytenbach@inl.co.za

• This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on November 07, 2007

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