A roundup of the rescues performed by the National Sea Rescue Institute volunteers this past Festive weekend.
DURBAN:
At 10h00, Sunday, 27th December, NSRI Durban duty crew prepared to launch a sea rescue craft following a request for assistance from the wife of a skipper aboard a Hobie-cat reporting her husband and 2 crew in difficulty off-shore of Vetches Bay.
The Hobie-Cat had been damaged while they were sailing but prior to NSRI arriving on the scene they had managed to get to shore and they required no further assistance.
LANGEBAAN LAGOON:
At 11h00, Sunday, 27th December, NSRI Mykonos duty crew launched sea rescue craft to assist 3 children on inflatable canoes caught out of their depth in a stiff breeze at Kraal Bay.
NSRI Mykonos assisted the 3 children to shore without incident and once reunited with their families no further assistance was required.
At 17h49, Sunday, 27th December, NSRI Mykonos responded aboard sea rescue craft following reports of a 62 year old man from Hout Bay missing on a windsurfer at Kraal Baai.
2 male paddlers, aged in their 30’s, from Durban, on kayaks, who had reportedly gone to look for the windsurfer were then also reported to be missing.
During a search all 3 men were found at Postberg, near to Kraal Baai. They were all safe and had sought help from local residents after losing their way but they required no further assistance.
PLETTENBERG BAY:
On Wednesday, 23rd December, at 15h43, NSRI Plettenberg Bay assisted a man, from Pretoria, after his boat capsized behind the breakers off-shore of Keurbooms River Mouth.
The man was rescued from the surf onto the sea rescue craft and his boat, which had washed ashore, was recovered and he was brought to the sea rescue base where his family collected him. He was not injured.
At 12h30, Sunday, 27th December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew responded sea rescue craft and a land party with rescue swimmers following reports of a drowning in progress at Natures Valley.
A 28 year old man from Austria, on holiday, got into difficulty in a rip current while swimming.
While responding to the scene a local spear fisherman had swum out to the man and assisted him to shore.
On NSRI’s arrival on the scene the casualty was found safe ashore, not injured and he required no further assistance.
The spear fisherman is commended for assisting the casualty.
At 15h39, Sunday, 27th December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew responded aboard sea rescue craft and a land party, including NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI doctor, following eye-witnesses reporting a man in difficulty in the water off the rocks on the Wild Side of Robberg.
The man is believed to have been swept off rocks while fishing and 2 male family members had jumped into the water to try to assist him.
The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, WC Government Health EMS and the Mountain Club of South Africa – Search and Rescue also responded.
It was then reported by an American lady, who had witnessed the incident, that she was on the scene and she had managed to assist the fisherman onto rocks and she reported him to be injured.
The two family members had managed to swim out of the water and they were not injured.
On NSRI’s arrival on the scene the fisherman was found to be suffering difficulty in breathing, a dislocated shoulder and multiple lacerations to his body sustained from the rocks.
The NSRI doctor assisted by NSRI medics and paramedics treated the man before he was airlifted to hospital in a stable but serious condition by the Skymed rescue helicopter.
JEFFREYS BAY:
On Saturday, 26th December, NSRI Jeffreys Bay assisted a female fallen unconscious on the shore near to the sea rescue base.
NSRI medics treated the female, aged in her 30’s, for a diabetic hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) condition and an EC Government Health EMS ambulance arrived on the scene and paramedics took over the treatment and transported the female to hospital in a stable condition.
On Sunday, 27th December, at 14h34 NSRI Jeffreys Bay launched sea rescue craft and beach patrols to assist to warn beach goers and surfers of a shark spotted in the area of Super Tubes and at Kabeljous Beach. The shark had been spotted by a pilot aboard a helicopter flying over the area.
Kouga Municipal authorities were informed and as a precaution they temporarily closed Kabeljous Beach and helicopter companies agreed to keep a vigil during routine flights but no further sightings of the shark were observed.
STANFORD:
At 20h04, Sunday, 27th December, NSRI Hermanus towed a sea rescue craft to the Klein River in Stanford following reports of a female missing from a boat.
The SA Police Services also responded.
A search was initiated and later Police happened upon the female walking home along a road and it appears that somehow she had gotten off the boat at some point during the day but was not noticed to be missing until the boat reached its destination.
It appears that a misunderstanding had occurred amongst the boaters leading to one of the crew remaining behind at some point in their afternoon and she had missed the boat when it departed.
She was safe, not injured and required no further assistance.
MILNERTON:
NSRI Table Bay responded aboard sea rescue craft at 17h49, Sunday, 27th December, following reports of a body suspected to be floating off-shore of Milnerton Lagoon Beach.
Law Enforcement, WC Government Health EMS and a Police Dive Unit responded but an extensive search revealed no sign of a body floating in the water and it was suspected that this was a false alarm with good intentions.
GORDONS BAY:
At 18h55, Sunday, 27th December, NSRI Gordons Bay launched sea rescue craft following various eye-witnesses reporting two SUP (Stand Up Paddle Boarders) suspected to be in difficulty off-shore of Harbour Island.
A search continued until 22h00 which included firing off illuminating flares but no sign of any SUP’s could be found and it is suspected that the paddlers got to shore and they may be unaware that a search had been activated following the suspicion that they may have been in difficulty.
BLOUBERGSTRAND:
NSRI Melkbosstrand were alerted at 17h50, Sunday, 27th December, following reports of a kite-boarder suspected to be in trouble on the water off-shore between Bloubergstrand and Table View.
NSRI Melkbosstrand requested the assistance of Blouberg Lifeguards who were on the water in a rescue rubber-duck at the time and they found the kite-boarder on rocks and safe and he required no further assistance.
EAST LONDON:
At 05h30, Monday, 28th December, NSRI East London launched sea rescue craft to patient evacuate a 25 year old Indian sailor from the bulk carrier Mariella, Bottiglieri, 3 nautical miles off-shore of East London’s Port.
The vessel, sailing from Cape Town to India, reported the sailor injured yesterday after suffering a bump to the head while in the engine room causing dizziness.
The patient was transferred aboard the sea rescue craft and treated by NSRI medics and EC Government Health EMS paramedics and he has been transported to hospital in a stable condition by ambulance.
