Hectic 01 January 2012 for NSRI volunteers

SIMONS TOWN, STATION 10GLENCAIRN MOUNTAIN – Sunday, 01st DECEMBER, 2011. DOG RESCUED:At 13h37 NSRI Simonstown volunteer sea rescue duty crew were called out following a request by Metro EMS control to investigate eye-witness reports of a dog trapped on a cliff on the mountainside above Glencairn, near Simonstown.An NSRI team were dispatched to investigate and on arrival found the dog about 30 meters up the mountain, perched on a cliff, trapped on a barely accessible ledge.An NSRI team of rescuers hiked up the mountain and were able to reach the dog, a Husky, which was glad to accompany the rescue team out of its predicament. NSRI rescuers carried the dog down the mountain.The dog was identified as Maddox, by information on his collar and the owners were contacted. They were extremely happy to hear that their dog had been found and rescued and they came to collect their dog which is blind and which apparently went missing out of their garden on old years day. The owners had tried desperately throughout New Years Eve to try to find their dog.It appears that the blind dog had negotiated the mountainside until it could proceed no further and was unable to see its way out of its predicament.Pictures are available for download on the Sea Rescue FLICKR page. STATION 9, GORDON'S BAY KOEL BAY Sunday, 01st JANUARY, 2012. 4 PEOPLE RESCUED BY LIFEGUARDS:NSRI Gordon's Bay launched sea rescue craft to respond to Koel Bay following reports of multiple persons in distress in the water off Koel Bay.Metro EMS, a Metro EMS rescue squad and the Metro EMS Skymed helicopter responded.3 women and a man were rescued by lifeguards.The Metro EMS Skymed helicopter landed at Koel Bay beach where paramedics attended to a woman, 22, who was airlifted to hospital in a serious but stable condition suffering near drowning symptoms.A Metro EMS ambulance crew treated 2 women, 38 and 19, and they have been transported to hospital in stable conditions suffering near drowning symptoms.The remaining man, aged 20, who was also rescued from the water required no further assistance.SECOND GORDON'S BAY INCIDENTA search has been resumed for a 32 year old Malawian male who reportedly went missing earlier in the day at Strand Main Beach while swimming.NSRI Gordon's Bay, a Police Dive Unit, a Metro EMS rescue squad and the Metro EMS Skymed helicopter joined in the search.It appears that lifeguards had launched a search earlier in the day for a man suspected to have gone missing but according to reports no one had come forward to confirm the incident and family members (or friends) could not be reached and were not in attendance to confirm the incident.With no further information to go on nor any confirmation that the incident had occurred a search was cancelled until later in the day friends of the missing man came forward to confirm the incident.Once on-scene Police could not find any reliable witness until two friends, of the missing man, who were reportedly with him when he disappeared under water were tracked down to their house and brought back to the scene to point out to rescue authorities where the incident had taken place.Despite an extensive search no sign of the missing man has been found and police divers will continue with an ongoing search operation.The man is presumed to have drowned and Police have opened an inquest docket.WILDERNESS, STATION 23HEROLDS BAY – Sunday, 01st JANUARY, 2012. DROWNING:At 11h20 NSRI Wilderness volunteers were called out following reports of one or two anglers swept off rocks at Voelklip, 3 kilometers from Herolds Bay, near to George.Our Wilderness duty crew launched SERENDIPITY and duty lifeguards at Herolds Bay Beach also responded.Metro EMS, the Metro EMS Skymed helicopter, George Fire and Rescue Services and ER24 ambulance services all responded.While it was initially suspected that perhaps two people had been swept into the water on arriving on-scene it was confirmed that it was one man, from Johannesburg, that had been swept off rocks by a wave while angling.On arrival lifeguards swam out to the man who was found lifeless in the water and the lifeguards held onto the man behind the breaker line until the Metro EMS Skymed helicopter arrived and a rescue swimmer was deployed into the water from the Skymed helicopter to assist the lifeguards.Together the three rescuers commenced artificial breathing resuscitation efforts on the man, still in the water and behind the breaker line until the NSRI sea rescue boat arrived. The man was loaded onto the sea rescue boat where full Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts commenced and the man was brought to the beach where paramedics continued with CPR. He was transported to hospital by Mertro EMS ambulance while CPR continued in the ambulance.At hospital doctors continued with CPR but after all extensive efforts to resuscitate him were exhausted he was declared dead by doctors.Police have opened an inquest docket and the man details, including his age, are being gathered by Police.During the rescue operation the mans sister arrived on-scene and Police trauma counsellors are assisting her. EAST LONDON, STATION 7EAST LONDON – Sunday, 01st JANUARY, 2011. BODY OF DROWNING VICTIM RECOVERED:At 02h00 on Sunday, 01 January NSRI East London volunteer sea rescue duty crew were called out to assist Metro EMS attending to a search operation at Orient Beach, near East London, following reports of a man missing in the surf, suspected to have gone missing while swimming.Our East London volunteers launched SPIRIT OF ROTARY EAST LONDON II and responded to join Metro EMS and Police in an extensive search operation.During an ongoing search operation, at approximately 12h30 this afternoon, a Police K-9 unit police dog located the body of the man which has been recovered and declared dead by Metro EMS paramedics and handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.Police have opened an inquest docket and details of the man, including his age and where he is from, are being gathered by Police.SECOND EAST LONDON INCIDENT:NSRI East London, the Buffalo City Fire and Rescue Services, Metro EMS, a Metro EMS rescue helicopter and Police and a Police K-9 dog unit are searching for a boy, approximately 14 years old, believed to be the son of a local Policeman, missing and presumed to have drowned at Kidds Beach, South of East London.At this stage no sign of the missing teenager has been found and Police have opened an inquest docket.MOSSEL BAY, STATION 15GREAT BRAK RIVER – Sunday, 01st JANUARY, 2012. MISSING MAN PRESUMED TO HAVE DROWNED:At 08h34 on Sunday, 01 January NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were called out following reports of a drowning in progress at Souweisa Beach, between the Klein Brak River and the Great Brak River.Our duty crew towed VODACOM RESCUER IV which was launched on-scene and Metro EMS, the SA Police Force, Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Services, the Metro EMS Skymed helicopter and ER24 ambulance service responded to the scene.On arrival an extensive air, sea and shore search commenced but no sign of the missing 28 year old man, who is presumed to have drowned, has been found and Police Divers have been summoned to the scene to continue with an ongoing search.Police have opened an inquest docket and the name of the man has not been released. It is not yet clear where the man is from and Police are following up on further details. PORT ELIZABETH, STATION 6 SUNDAY, 01st JANUARY, 2012. MAN OVERBOARD DIES:At 02h20 NSRI Port Elizabeth volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a man overboard a 36 foot yacht CAMERON 5 nautical miles off Port Elizabeth.The yacht was reportedly returning to Port Elizabeth from a night sail with the skipper and his crewman onboard when the crewman went overboard by unknown circumstances and the skipper raised the alarm while beginning to search.Our duty crew launched EIKOS RESCUER IV and SPIRIT OF TOFT and on arrival joined the yacht searching for the missing man, believed to be in his late 40's, from Port Elizabeth.During a search the lifeless body of the man was found by the NSRI floating in the water. He was recovered and NSRI medics commenced Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) while bringing him to our sea rescue base where Guardmed paramedics continued CPR but after all efforts to revive the man were exhausted he was declared dead.The Police were summoned and an inquest docket has been opened.The body of the man has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.SHELLY BEACHAt 15h18 NSRI Shelley Beach responded to Port Shepstone following reports of 4 men being swept out to sea by rip-currents.NSRI Sheley Beach launched their DISCOVERY rescue runner and local lifeguards rescued 3 men, from Newlands, Durban. NSRI rescued 1 man from the surf and he was brought to the NSRI rescue base where he was treated for near drowning symptoms.He is a 32 year old man from Newlands, Durban, he has been transported to hospital by Medivac ambulance service in a stable condition suffering from symptoms of near drowning.At 18h36 NSRI Shelley Beach responded to Margate following reports of two men being swept out to sea.Lifeguards rescued one man and Medivac paramedics did Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on one man who is in a critical condition.A second man was rescued from the surf by NSRI rescuers on their DISCOVERY rescue runner and that man is not injured.ST FRANCIS BAY, STATION 21At 15h30 NSRI St Francis Bay responded to 3 nautical miles off St Francis Bay to fetch a small 8 foot yacht WIN WIN with a broken rudder which was being swept out to sea by a 35 knot Westerly wind with 3 adults onboard, all from Port St Francis.NSRI's rescue craft SPIRIT OF ST FRANCIS II caught up with the trio, a towline was rigged and they were brought safely ashore.RICHARDS BAY, STATION 19NSRI Richards Bay responded to Mtunzini Beach (40 kilometers South of Richards Bay) where an man is reported to have gone missing while swimming.Surf conditions were too large for an NSRI rescue craft to be launched on-scene.Police and Ezemvelo Wild Life rangers were also on-scene assisting the NSRI in a search when a crowd of people on the beach became aggressive towards the rescue teams.NSRI can confirm that the situation became untenable to the point where Police ordered the NSRI volunteers to leave the beach and withdraw from the search effort for fear for the safety of the NSRI personnel.A police dive unit have been summoned to join Police and Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers searching for the as yet unidentified male.An inquest docket has been opened by Police.HOUT BAYAt 19h50 Hout Bay volunteer duty crew and Metro EMS were activated to assist Police and the Hout Bay volunteer EMS on the scene at Flora Bay, Hout Bay, where they were attending to a 25 year old local angler who had been swept off rocks while fishing with his brother and landing on rocks sustaining a laceration to his face and a fractured knee.The man had been stabilized by the Hout Bay volunteer EMS assisted by a Metro EMS doctor and NSRI and a Metro EMS rescue squad assisted to have the patient loaded and secured into a stokes basket stretcher and extricated from the barely accessible rocky area and the patient has been transported to hospital in a stable condition.JEFFREYS BAYAt 14h35 Jeffreys Bay duty crew and 24/7 paramedic services were activated following reports of a suspected drowning in progress at Kabaljous Beach.On arrival an NSRI crewman and a 24/7 paramedic found the patient, a 29 year old East London man, on the beach.The patient had reportedly been throwing a tennis ball around, with friends, in waist deep water, when he was hit on the head by the tennis ball and suffered an epileptic seizure. Lifeguards rescued the young man from the water and when NSRI and 24/7 paramedics arrived on-scene Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts were commenced but after all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted on-scene he was declared dead by paramedics.The body of the man has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.