Port Edward Fishing Competition Rescues MyZA

Allan Stilwell, NSRI Port Edward duty controller, said; “On 30 April at 08h00 NSRI Port Edward volunteers, on active stand-by duty during the fishing competition “The Port Edward Ski Boat Classic” held today and over the next two days off-shore of Port Edward, were activated following a request for assistance from the ski-boat Bare Back reporting steering mechanism failure to their boat with 3 crew onboard 2 kilometers off-shore.

Our sea rescue craft Wild Coast Sun Rescuer, already on the water monitoring the fishing competition, responded to the call and rendezvoused with the casualty boat just off the outer breaker line and one fisherman and all of their fishing gear was taken off their boat (transferred onto our sea rescue boat) in order to make their boat lighter and the skipper of the casualty craft and his remaining crewman brought their boat in through the breakers under an escort from our sea rescue craft and they made it safely ashore without any further assistance.

All 3 fishermen are locals and once safely ashore they required no further assistance.

At 08h30 our sea rescue craft Wild Coast Sun Rescuer was then diverted to assist the ski-boat X-Ta-Sea reporting a 68 year old crewman onboard suffering a suspected fractured right ankle onboard 3 kilometers South of Port Edward off-shore of the Wild Coast Sun.

On arrival on-scene our sea rescue medics treated 68 year old Jan van Rensburg, from Klerksdorp, for a confirmed right ankle fracture sustained after his right leg was caught between a seat on their ski-boat in rough sea swells of 3 meters.

Mr van Rensburg was transported to shore aboard our sea rescue craft where he was handed into the care of Netcare 911 paramedics and transported to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.”