Very busy two days for NSRI volunteers

National Friday, 30th DECEMBER, 2011. Incidents at Hangklip, Port Alfred, Melkbosstrand, Paternoster, East London, Kommetjie, Richards Bay and St Lucia:HangklipOff-duty NSRI Table Bay senior volunteer Pat van Eyssen, yesterday, at 09h30, (Thursday, 29th December), while crayfishing with his son, on their rigid inflatable craft, came across the upturned hull of a ski-boat approximately 700 meters off-shore of Hangklip.Fearing people missing at sea or perhaps still trapped under the boat Pats son Patrick James swam under the boat to investigate but no people were found.The name of the boat, SEA HAWK, was radioed to Maritime Radio Services to attempt to locate the owners but a short while later the boat owner arrived on-scene in another boat to tow his capsized boat to shore.The owner, from Gordon's Bay, claimed that they had capsized with 5 people onboard at around 07h00 but it is not clear how they all managed to get ashore but Pat confirmed that no one had been injured.Once their boat was towed ashore Pat and his son assisted them to right the craft which was later recovered.PICTURES AVAILABLE ON NSRI FLICKR PAGE Port AlfredAt approximately 15h00 on Thursday, 29th December NSRI were activated following reports of 4 children being swept out to sea at East Beach.On arrival on-scene a 12 year old girl was found on the beach in a serious condition suffering near drowning symptoms.NSRI rushed the child to hospital accompanied by two doctors but the child died later in hospital. It appears that the remaining 3 children who were suspected to also be in difficulty were not harmed.Police have opened an inquest docket and NSRI have no further details.NSRI Port Alfred responded to two separate incidents yesterday, (Thursday, 29th December), at 16h30, following reports of 3 children suspected to have been swept away by rip-currents at the Fish River Mouth.Prior to NSRI arriving on-scene it was confirmed that the children's father had rescued them before getting into difficulty himself when a surfer rescued him and a doctor on-scene confirmed that no one was injured.No further details are available.MelkbosstrandNSRI Melkbosstrand were activated at 14h15, on Thursday, 29th December following reports of a drowning in progress at Melkbosstrand Beach.NSRI Melkbosstrand volunteers responded to the scene where a 19 year old male, Jason James, from Centurion, was found already out of the water after getting into difficulties while swimming in the surf.An unidentified male who had been standing on the beach nearby at the time had rushed into the surf after noticing Jason in difficulty and he had swum Jason out of the surf onto the beach.Law Enforcement officers were in attendance and NSRI paramedics treated Jason for near drowning symptoms before he was transported to hospital by Metro EMS ambulance in a stable condition.Mykonos - 2 call outsAt 11:40 NSRI Mykonos received a call from a 54' yacht 'Shang Du' which was on its way from Saldanha to Cape Town, requesting assistance returning to Saldanha. They had engine problems, and did not want to take the risk of continuing to Cape Town without the back up of a working engine. It would take them at least 2 hours sailing until they reached the entrance to the bay, so at 13:40 Spirit of Freemasons was launched and met up with the vessel just outside the bay. NSRI accompanied the vessel up to the entrance to Saldanha where the vessel was then taken on tow to assist with coming into the Yacht Port and along side the jetty. At 15:30 'Shang Du' was safely tied onto the Jetty and all 6 persons on board safe.The family of 6, including 4 young children, were all well trained in the art of sailing, and even some of our NSRI members were impressed. It is great to see families sailing together and being so cautious as to their equipment and safety gear, it was a pleasure assisting them. Second call for Myconos:NSRI Mykonos responded, at 12h15 onThursday, 29th December to Paternoster where a 'Crayfish Bakkie', (a small crayfishing boat), with engine trouble at a popular crayfishing site 7 nautical miles off-shore of Paternoster with 2 local fishermen onboard.They were requested to put to anchor and NSRI Mykonos volunteers towed their sea rescue craft Gemini Rescuer II which was launched at St Helena Bay and once on-scene a tow-line was rigged and the crayfish boat was towed to shore safely without incident.The two fishermen were commended for giving exact information as to their whereabouts and for following very precise safety procedures for an incident of this nature.PICTURES AVAILABLE ON NSRI FLICKR PAGEEast LondonNSRI East London were activated to respond to Nahoon River, at 14h20 on Friday, 30th December, following reports of a drowning in progress high up the river near Evans Flow.NSRI towed their DISCOVERY rescue runner to the scene and the Buffalo City Fire and Rescue Services and the SA Police Force also responded.On arrival it was confirmed that a 17 year old boy, on his Abakwetha, had drowned while swimming in the river.His friends claimed he had been under water for over an hour.Buffalo City Fire and Rescue Services divers were deployed into the water to dive search and following a dive search the body of the teenager was recovered and handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.Police have opened an inquest docket.KommetjieNSRI Kommetjie responded, at 12h20, on Friday, 30th December, following reports of a boat capsized with 3 people onboard just off-shore of the Kommetjie slip way.All 3 men, David Eastman, 22, from Bergvliet, Cameron Clarke, 20, from Constantia, and Alnda Dlepu, 22, from Pinelands, managed to get to shore safely without injuries and Alnda was treated on-scene by NSRI medics for Asthma, but following treatment he required no further assistance. Their boat was recovered with the help of a private boat, which towed their boat ashore, and NSRI volunteers who assisted to right their boat.Richards BayAt 14h15 on Friday, 30th December NSRI Richards Bay volunteer Jaco VD Walt, on his own private boat at the time, witnessed a Halcat (small sailing boat) capsize at Buoy number 5, in the main shipping lane, in the Port of Richards Bay with 2 adult men onboard, one a local and one from Port Elizabeth.Jaco stood-by on-scene and activated the NSRI Richards Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew who responded aboard the sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF ROUND TABLE and the casualty craft was towed to shore safely. The two men were not injured.Then at 15h00, NSRI Richards Bay responded to 2 kilometers North of 5 mile beach where a kite surfer had sustained a suspected fractured leg while kite surfing.His friends had managed to swim him ashore where they waited for the rescue services.Reaching the barely accessible location required NSRI's rescue vehicle to drive 6 kilometers along the beach (they entered the beach at nHalabane) but because of the high tide they could only drive up to 5 Mile Beach and from there NSRI volunteer crewman Werner Smit hiked the remaining 2 kilometers to reach the scene.Werner started to carry the patient the 2km back to the Mobile. When the patients friends arrived at the waiting Sea Rescue moblie with their Land Rover, they decided to take a chance and round the point through the sea and met up with Werner and the patient. Werner had carried the patient about half a kilometer at this stage. They all climbed into the Land Rover, rounded the point again met up with the Sea Rescue Mobile where he was treated for his injury.The patient, Dean Hinkins, from Kensington, Johannesburg, was extremely appreciative of the NSRI's efforts.Shelly BeachNSRI Shelly Beach responded at 07h05, on Friday, 30th December, to 1 nautical mile off-shore of Southbroom following a request for assistance from the charter fishing boat RIP TIDE II reporting gear box failure.NSRI’s CALTEX CHALLENGER II was launched accompanied by a boat motor mechanic and on arrival the mechanic fixed the problem, a gear box hydraulic fluid blockage, and once completed the NSRI returned to base and the 7 people onboard RIP TIDE II continued fishing.Port EdwardNSRI Port Edward were activated at 12h45 on Thursday, 29th December to respond to Drakes Beach following a request for 'back-up' from uBunthu lifeguards who were swimming out chasing after two teenagers, a 16 year old male and a 14 year old female, who had been caught in a rip current and were being swept out to sea.NSRI launched their DISCOVERY rescue runner and the NSRI rescue vehicle was dispatched but on arrival lifeguards had the two teenagers already safely on the beach and they were not injured and they required no further assistance.