UPDATE: PORT ALFRED. Sunday, 21st OCTOBER, 2014: NSRI CONTINUE THROUGHOUT WEEKEND TO ASSIST IN FLOODING:
NSRI Port Alfred have continued throughout the weekend to assist the Municipality, Traffic Services, Police and the Emergency Services in the devastating flooding that occurred as a result of the heavy rainfalls.
On numerous occasions NSRI have been called to rescue people and animals trapped by flood waters in homes and in areas of Port Alfred.
On Sunday, 21st October, a call went out to NSRI Port Alfred volunteers requesting crew with strong backs and spades to assist the Municipality to temporarily rebuild a road and bridge. Most of Sunday 21st our NSRI volunteers assisted the Municipality to rebuild the road and bridge that collapsed in the floods. The road, Freshwater Road, is the only access road to a suburb in Port Alfred.
Sandbags were filled and deployed to make the road passable until it can be properly repaired.
PORT ALFRED – Thursday, 18th October, 2012. Assistance during flooding:
Heavy rain has fallen over night particularly causing flooding of rivers in the Ndlambe area. At 02h00 on Thursday, 18th October NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following reports of people trapped by flood water at Meadowlina Caravan Park, Port Alfred said Juan Pretorius, NSRI Port Alfred station commander.
Municipal workers were found to be cutting up a tree that had fallen across a road, Traffic Services were assisting to divert traffic through flooded streets and Multi-Security, a local response security firm, were assisting.
Our NSRI volunteers responded by road, negotiating flooded streets and debris on roads, to find a husband and wife and their cat, all originally from Johannesburg, trapped in their caravan by flood waters surrounding their caravan.
The wife was carried out secured into a stokes basket stretcher by our NSRI volunteers, the cat was carried out and the husband helped through the chest deep water that surrounded their caravan. All were safely taken to residence on higher ground.
We then responded to nearby Shielan House, a guest lodge, where the owners, a husband and wife, their two dogs and a lodger from Cape Town were trapped by flood waters. A river of water was found to be raging through their house and their vehicle had been washed away.
While approaching the house across the flooded garden no sense could be made of the terrain and one of our NSRI volunteers unknowingly, while walking across the yard, walked into the swimming pool and he briefly disappeared but very soon managed to get himself out of the pool.
At the guest lodge we brought everyone and the dogs to safety and to residence on higher ground. Their vehicle was also brought to safety.
Then the owners of the Meadowlina Caravan Park themselves requested assistance after their residence caused their vehicle and house to be swamped. NSRI towed their vehicle out of flood waters and the husband and wife, their cat and a friend were assisted to residence on higher ground.
At 06h45, we were activated to assist at the harbour where the Marina Dredger had come loose from anchor and secured only by one line, and already adrift in the flooded river mouth, was at risk of being swept out to sea and lost if the one line had failed, our NSRI volunteers, assisted by The Marina Dredging staff, secured lines to the dredger and using only manpower pulled her out of the critical flow of flood water and into an Eddy where it was secured and taken out of harms way.
Then between 6 and 7 whole jetties were found to be floating down the Kowie River causing damage to other jetties, boats and walkways, and we launched our sea rescue craft Kowie Rescuer and sailed up river securing jetties to the bank in an effort to prevent them suffering the same fate and causing more damage.
Numerous boaters and boat owners, residents along the river bank have been assisted and advised by our NSRI volunteers in efforts to secure properties and assets and the situation continues to be monitored.
This picture can be downloaded for media use on Sea Rescue’s Flickr page.
Erin Barkley (4) is carried to safety from a flooded Port Alfred holiday resort by NSRI volunteers JJ French and Jarred Clur. Picture Keryn van der Walt.
This cliff at five today had broken away right up to the house on the right. Picture: Keryn van der Walt
Picture: Keryn van der Walt
- Port Alfred NSRI volunteers help fill sandbags in an effort to stop water flooding properties. Picture: Keryn van der Walt
A jetty is washed out to sea. Picture Jo Anne Betts.
PORT ALFRED – Thursday, 18th October, 2012. River flooding:
NSRI have been requested by the City Disaster Management to urge boaters and boat owners on rivers in the Eastern Cape Ndlambe area to remove their boats from the river quickly and safely.
Over 200mm of rain has fallen in the past three days in the area. Our volunteers helped casualty evacuate a lady from the caravan park, carrying her on a stretcher at shoulder height to keep her out of the water. they also towed a car to safety from the same caravan park. At seven am this morning the dredger broke loose from its moorings.
Juan Pretorius, NSRI Port Alfred station commander, said that if, for any reason, the execution of this request presents a danger to life or limb, boaters and boat owners are urged not to put themselves in harms way and leave their boats where they are.
The Ndlambe area is flooding at present and damage has been caused to boats, quays and property.
The regional help line telephone number for Disaster Management in the Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, Region is 046-6241111.
The Kowie river mouth. Picture Jo Anne Betts.
The car that NSRI volunteers towed to safety on a flatbed. Picture Onika Ranft.
The flooded caravan park. Picture Onika Ranft.
Picture Juan Pretorius.
Picture Juan Pretorius.
Well done you guys, you are doing a good job. I assume that West Beach road is all ok? Thanks Trish
Hi Trish.
Most of West beach drive is on relatively higher ground and was unaffected by the large amount of rain.
Regards
Juan Pretorius
Port Alfred
Station commander.
Think the spelling is Medolino.
Well done guys !
From a camper……
No photo’s of sports road its nirmaly flooded.
Praying for all in Port Alfred. Shocking – cant believe it. Thank you to all thats assisting and helping our town and its people.
Marie Horne
(from U.K)
Well done – & today its started all over again – u guys must be exhausted!
As usual, the NSRI are unsung heroes. I urge everyone to go to NSRI website and set up a regular donation via credit card. It’s the best charity in SA. All of the money goes to supporting the amazing network of men & women that make up the NSRI volunteer group. They need our support. Well done, Guy
Keep up the fantastic work!!! You are certainly the light in Port Alfred`s darkest hour. What may seem as an impossible task ahead, will leave P.A. and surrounds a better place due to its sense of community! Having endured the epicentre of the Queensland Floods in 2011, we certainly wont be deterred from visiting family and friends in a couple of months time. You will all come out of this tougher and stronger, but above all a far superior community spirit will prevail that Port Alfred will become renowned for. Our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every one of you affected by this terrible disaster.
How awsume to be CEO of an organisation with volunteers like this.
Well done!
Congratulations and well done to NSRI, Multi Security and all those wonderful volunteers. It has been a desperate week but you guys give us new hope. Our hearts go out to all those who have lost their homes and possessions.
Well done everyone!! Hero’s one and all!! Thank you!
Well done everyone!! Hero’s one and all!! Thank you!
Reply
We have planned and paid for our December holidays, to go to Medolino Carvan Park. I think this wont be happening anymore. My heart goes out to Derek and his family.
Well done guys. Incredible to see these pictures and very sad.
Hopefully Port Alfred will recover quickly to his previous beauty.
Best regards,
Cristian Ciocan
(from UK)
You guys at NSRI are pillars of the community and have true uBuntu. Your site is most informative and the pixs are graphic.
Well done.
thank you guys for the job you’ve done for us you saved our brothers and sisters we puted our trust on you guys thanks please d’nt give up guys
well done guys GOD will honour you one day
Well done to all the rescue workers! And thank you. Where can I get information on all the road closures between PE/Port Alfred/East London, as well as between Port Alfred and Grahamstown?