Saturday,01 December 2012. Call-outs:WITSAND:At midday on Saturday 01 December Witsand volunteers were activated following reports of two men in difficulty approximately 1.5 kilometers up the Breede River from Witsand.Two men, Mark Sutherland, 52, and Conrad Miller, 56, from Tableview, Cape Town, were in the water gathering bait, swimming and bait catching from their cabin boat, but with an outgoing tide their cabin boat had drifted away from them while they were in the water and despite swimming after their cabin boat they were unable to catch up and were forced to swim to shore. They got into difficulty in the water in the process.An ex NSRI Gordons Bay volunteer, Dirk Kruger, on his sea kayak, found the two men who had managed to reach the shore at Moddergat and one of the men showed signs of near drowning symptoms so Dirk activated NSRI Witsand for assistance. He also caught up to their boat successfully recovering it.Attie Gunter, NSRI Witsand station commander, said that on the NSRI Witsand volunteer sea rescue duty crew arrival on-scene one of the men, Mark Sutherland, was treated for shock. A doctor, who lives opposite of where the two men are staying in Witsand, checked on the condition of Mark Sutherland, and following treatment for shock and re-warming for mild hypothermia, Mark was released requiring no further assistance. The second man, Conrad Miller, was not injured.MYKONOS:At 17h48 on Saturday 01 December NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following reports of a hobie-cat capsized on Langebaan Lagoon opposite Pearlies Restaurant about 300 meters off-shore.Gerard Brune, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said that prior to NSRI's arrival on-scene it was reported that locals had assisted the capsized hobie-cat and crew to shore and no further assistance was required.At 20h00 they were placed on high alert following reports of two red distress flares sighted by members of the public in the vicinity of Tietiesbaai near Mykonos.On investigation by NSRI it appeared that the distress flares had been fired from the land side and no further response was required. As a precautionary measure local NSRI coast watchers were placed on alert but no further flare sightings were observed.No persons have been reported to be in any difficulties relating to this incident and the reasons for the distress flares activation remains unknown.MELKBOSSTRAND:At 11h38 on Saturday Merlkbosstrand volunteers were activated to assist WC Government EMS who were responding to a woman who was unconsciousness from unknown causes at a business in Melkbosstrand.NSRI medics arrived on-scene to find the 71 year old lady suffering from low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). The lady was stabilized and handed into the care of EMS on their arrival on-scene and she was transported to hospital in a stable condition by EMS ambulance.At 17h30 they were again called out following reports of a snorkel diver off Melkbosstrand suffering a suspected heart attack.On arrival on-scene NSRI rescuers found the 45 year old local man was being brought to shore aboard a small blow up dinghy by two members of the public and NSRI medics treated the man for chest pains at our NSRI Melkbosstrand rescue base first aid room. He was handed into the care of SA Paramedic Services who transported the man to hospital in a stable condition suffering a suspected anxiety attack.It appears that the man's pulse rate may have escalated after he came across what he called a very large crayfish, while free diving, and the increased pulse rate may have contributed to causing him to suffer an anxiety attack which presents very similar to a perceived heart attack.At 17h50 Melkbosstrand responded for the third time to the SELY 1 wreck where it was reported three kite-surfers were in difficulty after the wind speed subsided causing their kites to be unable to get airborne. It was reported that one of the kite-surfers, a woman, had climbed onto the SELY 1 wreck to await a rescue.Kobus Meyer, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty coxswain, said that on the NSRI's arrival on-scene it was found that either local surfers or local stand-up paddle boarders had assisted the three kite-surfers, including the woman, back to shore. All 3 kite-surfers were safe and required no further assistance.HOUT BAY:At about midday on Saturday 01 December NSRI Hout Bay launched a sea rescue craft to assist Police and the WC Government EMS rescue squad in a search for a man who had climbed down on the sea side of Chapman's Peak. Concerned family members had alerted rescue authorities fearing that the man may be in difficulties. It was reported that he appeared to be trying to evade being rescued.Lyall Pringle, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said that the man was located on cliffs on Chapman's Peak and he was successfully recovered from the cliffs and he was handed into the care of Police and paramedics. It is reported that the man may suffer from a psychological disability.

Hout Bay's rescue boat Albie Mathews off Chapmans Peak. Picture Shaun Thomas.