JACOBSBAAI and HAWSTON – Boats capsize in 2 incidents:

WEST COAST:Gerard Brune, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said:'At 09h00 (Thursday, 17th October) NSRI Mykonos volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports of a boat capsized off-shore of Jacobsbaai, between Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay.'Initial reports suggested that eye-witnesses suspected that two children were in the water waving for help next to the capsized boat.'Our NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded to the scene towing our rescue craft which was to be launched on our arrival at the scene and the SA Police Services and WC Government Health EMS responded.'On arrival on-scene it was determined that 4 adult males (not two teenagers) had capsized on a boat before being rescued out of the water by colleagues on another boat. All are employees of the local abalone farm and the capsized boat remained in the water, appearing to have anchored beyond the surf-line, and will be recovered at a later stage.'The boat had capsized while the 4 men were farming kelp, just beyond the surf-line, sending all 4 men into the water who were then rescued by their colleagues on a second boat.'The 4 men were found to be mildly hypothermic and three were showing signs of near drowning symptoms and all 4 men were treated by paramedics and they were all transported to hospital by EMS ambulance, in stable conditions, for further treatment and for observation for secondary drowning.HAWSTON:Deon Langenhoven, NSRI Hermanus deputy station commander, said:'At 16h30 (Thursday, 17th October) NSRI Hermanus were activated following reports of a boat capsized near to Hawston harbour.'Our NSRI Hermanus volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded towing our sea rescue craft which was to be launched at the scene.'On arrival on-scene Police were already in attendance and the capsized boat had washed out onto the beach, 400 meters from the harbour, and Police confirmed that both men were safe but that they had already departed from the scene in their own transportation.'It appears that the incident may have happened quite sometime earlier but Police and NSRI were only alerted some time after the event.'No further assistance was required.'