Laurent Eray, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty coxswain, said; “On Saturday 6 August at 15h19 our NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteer duty crew were activated following reports of a surf-ski paddler capsized in the Keurbooms River Mouth and reportedly separated from his surf-ski and being swept out to sea.
“NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteers responded to the scene directly and our sea rescue craft AIRLINK RESCUER and DISCOVERY RESCUE RUNNER were launched from our sea rescue base and responded to the scene.
“On arrival on-scene we found a Port Elizabeth man, aged estimated in his early fifties, being swept out to sea and now about 300 meters of-shore of Lookout Point in choppy sea swells and a 15 knot gusting wind.
“The man was taken aboard our sea rescue craft and his surf-ski was recovered and he was brought safely to shore and he was not injured in the incident and he required no further assistance.
“It appears he became separated from his surf-ski after being capsized while coming in through the river mouth while returning from a paddle at sea.
“Then at 16h00 (Saturday, 06 August, 2011) our NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteers were activated to respond to the Piesang River where reports were received of a drowning in progress. (An NSRI volunteer returning home from the previous call-out was flagged down by a pedestrian who indicated that a child was in trouble in the nearby Piesang River. The NSRI volunteer raised the alarm while responding to the scene himself).
“Our NSRI volunteers responded from our sea rescue base and Med Life ambulance service responded.
“On arrival on-scene a two and a half year old female toddler was found already out of the water. It appears that either a family member or a bystander had managed to get her safely out of the water after she reportedly got into difficulties in the water but it was not made clear to NSRI if she had been swimming or wading in the water at the time or if she had fallen into the water!
“The toddler, a local, was medically checked and treated by our NSRI doctor, dr. Sam Botha, and then transported to hospital by Med Life ambulance in a stable condition suspected to be suffering near drowning symptoms and she was kept in hospital overnight for observation and NSRI Plettenberg Bay were informed this morning that she has been released from hospital this morning after recovering fully.”
