Donate Shop Find a Base Call for Help Now

NSRI EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTRE (EOC)

087 094 9774
Donate Shop
Find a Base
RESCUE OPERATIONS / 18 MAY 2013

Rubber duck assisted

Stn 40 St Lucia
Clifford Ireland, NSRI Durban station commander, said: 'At 13h20 (Saturday, 18th May), while our NSRI Durban volunteer sea rescue duty crew were on routine training at our sea rescue base, we overheard a VHF radio message, from the motor tanker ship WAPPEN VON BREMEN, informing the Transnet National Ports Authority that they were witnessing a small boat with two men on board who were paddling towards the tanker off-shore of Umhlanga and they appeared to be giving clear signalling indications that they were in some form of distress.
'We informed Durban's Port Control that we had intercepted the VHF radio message and at 13h25 we launched our sea rescue craft MEGAN II and responded to the location, off-shore of Umhlanga, where we found the 5 meter rubber-duck SILVER TIP with Quentin van der Mescht, 34, and Gustav Keet, 65, both from Kingburgh, South of Durban. They had a suspected flat battery and were unable to start their motor.
'To raise the alarm they had decided to paddle towards the tanker ship to request help after they had been unable to start their motor.
'We rigged a tow-line to the rubber-duck and towed them to Vetchies Beach where once they were safely beached and their boat put on her trailer they required no further assistance.'

Follow Us!

Follow us
Next Article

LAMBERTS BAY – 4 fisherman found safe:

Read More

You may also like

54636923031 b43dfd890b o
RESCUE OPERATIONS  | Published: 13 NOVEMBER 2026

NSRI – Simons Town – An emergency maritime medical evacuation operation

Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simons Town station commander, said: At 20h43, Wednesday, 11 November, NSRI Simons Town duty crew were activated to respond to the NSRI Simons Town station 10 rescue base to prepare to launch rescue craft on an emergency ...

READ MORE
53530239376 2a7ffbd7f2 o
RESCUE OPERATIONS  | Published: 13 NOVEMBER 2026

NSRI – Yzerfontein - A commercial fishing vessel with motor failure assisted

At 17h47, Wednesday, 11 November, NSRI Yzerfontein duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a local commercial fishing vessel, with 5 local male crew onboard, reporting motor mechanical failure deep-sea offshore of Yzerfontein. ...

READ MORE
2023 03 30 Durban Alec Rennie 82c5f5175a2e55ca0a26bbe33e7c08fd
RESCUE OPERATIONS  | Published: 12 NOVEMBER 2026

NSRI – Durban – Thursday, 12 November. Response to an SOS (Save our Souls) distress call from a long-distance surf-skier

Roy Wienand, NSRI Durban coxswain, said: At 11h07, Tuesday, 10 November, NSRI Durban and NSRI Ballito duty crews were activated following reports of an SOS distress signal received from a paddler on a surf-ski 20 nautical miles offshore of Ballito. ...

READ MORE