
The Table Bay Rescue boat Spirit of Vodacom takes the yacht Toy under tow off Bakoven.
STATION 2 – BAKOVEN, STATION 3 – TABLE BAY AND STATION 8 – HOUT BAY:Sunday, 16th September, 2012. 2 separate incidents:At 09h02 (Sunday, 16th September) NSRI Table Bay and Bakoven duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the 12 meter yacht Toy reporting to have mechanical engine failure and no wind in which to sail and requiring a tow to the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) from off Oudekraal.Pat van Eyssen, NSRI Table Bay duty coxswain, said that the yacht with 7 men onboard had departed from the RCYC yesterday to sail to Simonstown but encountered windless conditions and unable to sail then experienced mechanical failure of her motor and was becalmed off Oudekraal, for 12 hours and when wind conditions remained flat they called NSRI requesting a tow back to RCYC.NSRI Bakoven launched Rotarian Schipper and Table Bay launched Spirit of Vodacom. Rotarian Schipper put a line on Toy and pulled her towards RCYC untill Spirit of Vodacom arrived and the tow was then handed to the bigger rescue boat. Toy was brought to into Table Bay and safely berthed.Then at 10h22 Bakoven and NSRI Hout Bay's volunteer sea rescue duty crews were called following an urgent request for assistance from the 11 meter pleasure craft The Seagull reporting that her two 200 litre fuel tanks are suspected to have sprung a leak causing the fuel onboard to leak into the boats bilges (the hull) over a short period of time and apart from being fearful of the risk of a fire, the 6 crew were also stranded onboard and adrift off Llandudno.Brad Geyser, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said that fearing that the boat could ignite at any time NSRI Bakoven responded their sea rescue craft Rotarian Schipper and on arrival on scene all 6 crew of The Seagull were taken safely off their boat and taken aboard NSRI Bakoven's sea rescue craft in order to get them out of harms way and away from the potential hazards that the casualty boat posed.

James,9, and Jenalle,11, Davenall, from the boat The Seagull are on the rescue boat Rotarian Schipper as their fathers boat, which had fuel problems, is taken under tow by the Hout Bay rescue boat Albie Mathews.NSRI Hout Bay's sea rescue craft Albie Matthews then arrived on-scene. An NSRI volunteer was put aboard The Seagull and NSRI then towed the casualty craft to Hout Bay harbour where they were met by Fire and Rescue vehicles from Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services (A fire tender from Hout Bay and a foam tender from Roeland Street) who stood by where the casualty craft was berthed (as a precaution for fire), the SA Police Force and the Cities Anti Pollution team inspected the craft to evaluate the pollution risk.Pollution Services determined that there was no pollution threat and Fire and Rescue teams then used gel packs to soak up the fuel and all fuel was safely removed from the casualty boat and safely disposed of by the Fire and Rescue Services.All 6 crew members of Seagull, 2 men and 3 teenagers (2 boys and a girl) and 1 boy, have been brought safely to Hout Bay harbour aboard NSRI Bakoven's sea rescue craft Rotarian Schipper.There were no injuries in either of these two incidents.Pictures are available for media use on
Sea Rescue's Flickr page.
Sea Rescue volunteers put the pleasure boat The Seagull alongside at Hout Bay as the fire brigade stands by.
HOUT BAY – Teenager bitten by a Pitbull Terrier:Brad Geyser, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said:'At 14h03 NSRI Hout Bay duty crew, who were at our sea rescue station at the time, were approached by a local teenager who was bleeding on his right leg and claimed to have been bitten by a Pitbull Terrier.'According to the teenager once the dog got hold of him it would not let go.'Two bystanders had helped to free the teenager from the jaws of the dog, One took the top jaw of the dog and the other took the bottom jaw and they prized the jaw open to free the teenagers leg.'The incident happened in shallow water below the the boat launching ramp in Hout Bay harbour and the teenager had been swimming when the owner of the dog then also put his dog into the water when the incident then happened.'It appears that the dog and its owner had left the scene following the incident.'NSRI Hout Bay medics cleaned the wound in our first aid room and due to the severity of the bites, on the right calf, an EMS ambulance was summoned and the teenager has been transported to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.'
MOSSEL BAY – Near drowning incident:Andre Fraser, NSRI Mossel Bay deputy station commander, said:'At 12h43 Mossel Bay volunteers were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at De Bakke, near Mossel Bay.'Our duty crew and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded and on arrival on-scene a man believed to be in his late twenties was treated for near drowning symptoms by paramedics and transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition.'A lifeguard had rescued the man from the surf after he was reportedly swept out to sea by rip-currents.'It was not ascertained by NSRI where the man is from.'
MNANDI – 5 year old girl critical following near drowning incident:Mario Fredericks, NSRI Strandfontein station commander, said:'At 15h48 NSRI Strandfontein volunteers were activated following reports of a drowning incident at Mnandi Beach.'Our duty crew launched a sea rescue craft and a sea rescue vehicle responded to the scene.'On arrival it was found that Melomed paramedics and WC Government Health EMS paramedics were already on-scene treating a 5 year old girl, in a critical condition, for near drowning symptoms.'A Law Enforcement officer was also on-scene.'According to bystanders on the beach the girl had been lying face down in the water for at least 25 minutes but it remains unclear to NSRI how the girl was rescued from the water.'She was transported to hospital by Melomed ambulance in a critical condition.'NSRI are urging anyone faced with a sea rescue emergency to call their nearest sea rescue emergency contact number – in the Western Cape the sea rescue emergency number is 021-4493500.Along other parts of the coast consult the NSRI web site at www.nsri.org.za to find out your nearest sea rescue emergency number.For any part of the coastline call the WC Government Health EMS emergency number 10177 and in Kwa-Zulu Natal call the SA Police Force 10111.
WOODBRIDGE ISLAND AND TABLE VIEW BEACH – 3 incidents:Kobus Meyer, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty coxswain, said:'At 16h20 NSRI Melkbosstrand volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at the beach in front of Woodbridge Island, Milnerton.'Our NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew launched Men's Health Rescuer and Spirit of the Vines and our sea rescue vehicle responded.'On arrival on-scene Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services were in attendance but no sign of any drowning incident could be found and no one on the beach could shed any light on any drowning incident at the beach.'Then at 16h36 NSRI Melkbosstrand were alerted by a woman reporting her husband to be overdue on his sea kayak.'The 57 year old male from Australia, now living at Atlantic Beach in Cape Town, had left to paddle, on his debut paddle, from Woodbridge Island at 10h00 but having failed to arrive as scheduled at Milnerton Beach later in the day, his wife had grown concerned and raised the alarm.'A search commenced and just after 17h00 the man was found safe at Big Bay, Bloubergstrand. It appears that he had paddled further and for longer than he had intended but since he was safely ashore no further assistance was required.'It is not believed that these two incidents are related.'Then at 17h15 NSRI Melkbosstrand were alerted to a 7 year old girl, reportedly from De Noon, who according to her child minder had disappeared from the beach, at Tableview Beach, while the child minder had gone for a swim.'Fearing that the child had entered the sea and drowned while the child minder was swimming NSRI and Police were alerted.'A search commenced at sea and on land and Neighborhood Watch joined in the search but despite an extensive search no sign of the child has been found and Police have taken over the search and are investigating the incident but it is unknown if the child has gone missing in the sea or from the land.'