\u201cOur NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew dispatched a forward team to investigate while posting an alert to all NSRI Port Elizabeth volunteers to respond to our sea rescue base to prepare for a possible mass evacuation.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn arrival on-scene our forward team reported rising waters over the narrow weir leading to where the Christian group were holding fellowship and our sea rescue quad bike and 4\u00d74 rescue vehicles were dispatched.<\/p>\n
\u201cA total of 76 people and 1 dog, the youngest member being 18 years old, and people from all over the region, a large group from the Nelson Mandela University, people from Jeffreys Bay, Port Alfred, Port Elizabeth, and other areas of the Eastern Cape, that had gathered for the fellowship, were found at the gathering and as the water levels rose most of the roadway was washed away making a rescue effort by vehicle impossible.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur NSRI volunteers found an area that although barely accessible was at the time the only access and egress route from where the fellowship was being held and our NSRI rescuers, using fallen trees and tree trunks as anchor points, rigged a rope line, making hand rails along the line, and where flood areas were too deep or too turbulent NSRI rescuers were posted along the rope line to guide and aide the group across the river.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrior to the rescue operation commencing a safety briefing was held with the fellowship group and each person was allowed to take only one piece of luggage with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the group had, one by one, commenced crossing the river, our NSRI volunteers aided the elderly and assisted where necessary to get everyone, and the dog, safely across the river.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisaster Management dispatched two busses to then transport the group into Town where they have gathered at a central rendezvous point.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one was injured.\u201d<\/p>\n
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