On Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th NSRI Jeffreys Bay crew received reports of red distress flares, seen by eye-witnesses in the early evening on both occasions. An extensive search on both nights revealed no sign of any persons or craft in difficulty and there are no reports of any persons or craft overdue or missing. The origin o,f and the reason for, the flares remains unknown. Police have been informed.On Thursday 7th NSRI St Francis Bay and NSRI Jeffreys Bay volunteers were dispatched to the Lynx Golf Course to stand-by as safety crew for the Fire and Rescue Services. Water had collected during recent heavy rains, and was threatening to break its banks and flood the town. During efforts (attempting to pump water towards and into the Sand River) the
bank broke causing flooding water through most roadways in St Francis Bay town cutting the town off from mainland (effectively creating an island) and washing away a large section of the N2 motorway. NSRI volunteers, Fire and Rescue Services, Police as well as members of the community worked until late last night to assist people to reach their destinations (to and from town) as well as delivering medical supplies to people. No injuries were reported. Water levels have now (Friday 8th July) subsided considerably and efforts to repair the roadway have begun. On Friday 8th, around midday, NSRI St Francis Bay and NSRI Oyster Bay volunteers responded to Eerste Rivier, near St Francis Bay, where a yacht was reported to have run aground. Yacht
Gulliver (which was abandoned at sea in a sea rescue operation following her 4 crew being rescued off-shore of Cape Infanta near Witsand on 15th June) was found washed up on rocks on the shores of a farm in Eerste Rivier. The yacht has been missing at sea since the rescue of her crew.The yacht was found hard aground, mostly broken up with extensive damage and NSRI volunteers are salvaging as much as possible from the yacht on behalf of the owner. Police have been informed and the owners are informed.
