Sea Rescue – National – 25th and 26th December, 2010:
On the 25th NSRI Simon’s Town towed in the yacht Mystique Lady, sailing from Port Elizabeth to Simonstown into the Harbour.
Also on Christmas day NSRI Hermanus investigated an eye-witness report of two flares set off 20 minutes apart about 5 kilometres off-shore of Betties Bay at 23h30.
No sign of any vessel or persons in distress could be found and the activation of the two flares is being treated as suspicious.
On the 26th, at around 10h45, NSRI Wilderness, the Metro Red Cross AMS helicopter and Metro EMS (Emergency Medical Service) responded 2 kilometres North of Wilderness, to in-between Wilderness and Lientjiesklip, following reports of a drowning in progress.
On arrival it was found that lifeguards had rescued an unidentified adult male from the surf and CPR efforts had commenced.
Advanced Life Support CPR continued and the man was airlifted to hospital by the helicopter in a critical condition and after all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted at the hospital he was declared dead by doctors.
An inquest docket has been opened by Police.
Also on the 26th NSRI Mykonos responded, at 13h08, to 150 metres off-shore of Paradise Beach, Langebaan, following a request for assistance from a husband and wife and their two and a half year old female child, suffering engine failure to their 5.5 metre ski-boat and requiring a tow.
NSRI Mykonos dispatched a rescue craft and the casualty boat was safely towed into Mykonos harbour.
On the 26th, at 13h40, NSRI Strandfontein, Metro EMS, the Metro Red Cross AMS helicopter, Police, Law Enforcement and lifeguards responded to reports of two men being swept out to sea at Garbage Beach, West of Mnandi.
On arrival on-scene one man, a 20 year old from Tafelsig Mitchells Plein, was recovered from the beach, after being washed onto the beach and he has been transported to hospital by Metro EMS ambulance in a stable condition suffering near drowning symptoms and for observation for secondary drowning.
A extensive air, sea and shore search is continuing for the missing man, an 18 year old from Gugulethu, and the Police Dive Unit were on-scene.
It is suspected that both men were swept out to sea by rip-currents.
Police will open an inquest docket.
On the 26th, NSRI Melkbosstrand assisted a man suffering an epileptic seizure on the beach and he was transported to hospital by ambulance.
A search on the beach was conducted for two children missing, in two separate incidents, and in both cases the children were reunited with their families.
On the 26th, at 12h36, NSRI Durban and the Discovery Surf Rescue helicopter responded to off-shore of the Umgeni River Mouth, following reports of a fishing jet-ski capsized.
While responding to the scene the yacht Teresa Blue reported sighting a red distress pencil flare in the area and on our arrival on-scene, aboard our rescue craft Megan II, a father and son were found to have been rescued by the yacht and their jet-ski was found floating nearby.
It appears that their jet-ski had capsized.
The father and son, from Kempton Park, Johannesburg, were transferred onto the sea rescue craft Megan II and their jet ski was towed to the Durban Ski-boat club where they were reunited with their family.
On the 26th, NSRI Hermanus responded to Fisherhaven, near Hermanus, following reports of a drowning in progress.
Prior to arriving on-scene it was confirmed that an adult male was safely out of the water after getting into difficulty in the surf and no further assistance was required.
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