Sea-kayakers rescued whale watching.

Sea Rescue – Hermanus – Thursday, 14 October, 2010. 6 sea-kayakers rescued on whale watching paddle.Deon Langenhoven, Sea Rescue Hermanus duty coxswain, said: “At 14h41 Sea Rescue Hermanus volunteers and the Metro Ambulance and Rescue Services were activated following a request for urgent rescue assistance from the Walker Bay Adventures owner reporting 6 tourists to have been knocked out of their 3 double sea-kayaks and reporting that they were hanging onto the sea-kayaks a few hundred metres off-shore of the Windsor Hotel, Hermanus.“A sea rescue mobile crew and the Metro paramedics responded to the shore side, in front of The Windsor Hotel, while our sea rescue volunteer duty crew launched our sea rescue craft Hunters Gold Rescuer and the Metro Rescue Red Cross AMS helicopter was placed on alert.“On arrival on-scene all 6 tourists were found in the water holding onto two of the Kayaks a few hundred metres off-shore.“A guide from Walker Bay Adventures, who accompanied the tourists, was assisting to keep them all together and they were all wearing life-jackets.“All 6 tourists, Matthys Speuwn, 31, and Suzan Senden, 23, from the Netherlands and James Harper, 43, Sally Harper, 48, Margo Sheridan, 58, and Richard Bliott, 50, from the United Kingdom, were taken onboard our sea rescue craft and brought to our sea rescue station at the Hermanus Harbour where we were met by paramedics from the Metro Ambulance and Rescue Services.“All 6 tourists were treated by paramedics for mild hypothermia and Margo Sheridan and Richard Bliott, both suffering from body bruising and Richard suffering from a head injury, were treated for their injuries but they declined to be transported to hospital by ambulance and all 6 patients were released in satisfactory conditions under the advice to consult a doctor or a local hospital if they feel it to be necessary.“The tour guide that accompanied them to sea rounded up two of the double sea-kayaks and returned safely to the launch site at the Old Hermanus Harbour and the third sea-kayak was recovered later.”