UPDATE: SEA RESCUE MOUILLE POINT. SUNDAY 13th October: Paddler found:
Highly experienced paddler Chris Bertish has confirmed to NSRI that he was the paddler off-shore of Mouille Point yesterday that was suspected by eye-witnesses to be in difficulty.
Chris was not aware at the time that a search and rescue operation had been launched for him and he was simply on one of his normal routine downwind paddle.
An extensive search revealed no sign of the paddler and while NSRI suspected that the paddler may have been on a downwind paddle, by sunset, we were still not sure. (See media release below)
It has now been confirmed that the paddler, who will incidentally be featured on Carte Blanche tonight, was on a downwind paddle and came out of the water safely at Big Bay Bloubergstrand.
Chris (
www.chrisbertish.com) had with him a bright neon colored wet-suit, life-jacket, hydration fluids, food, various types of red distress flares and smoke flares, a VHF waterproof radio, a dive knife, a mirror, a first aid kit, a repair kit, a spare fin, a referee whistle and two people had been informed where he was leaving from, his route and his return time and he had checked in with both people on his safe return.
Based on the estimated time line NSRI sea rescue craft and the Skymed rescue helicopter were most likely hot on his heels and may have missed him coming out at Big Bay by only minutes.
No harm has been done and NSRI are happy to have traced the paddler and to learn that he was not in any danger as was feared by the credible, reliable and concerned eye-witnesses.
NSRI are grateful that we tracked him down, after NSRI Kommetjie station commander Tom Coetzee recalled seeing a social media posting that day that Chris was planning a downwind paddle across Table Bay and on learning of the sea rescue operation Tom put two and two together.
All is well that ends well.
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Original release:
At 12h44 (Saturday, 12th October) NSRI Bakoven crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following eye-witness reports suspecting a paddler to be in difficulty off the Mouille Point Lighthouse.
The reliable and concerned eye-witnesses had seen a lone paddler about 500 meters off the Mouille Point Lighthouse paddling and then suddenly changing direction, in rough seas with strong off-shore winds, giving the impression to the eye-witnesses that the paddler was being blown out to sea and in difficulty.
Our crew launched ROTARIAN SCHIPPER and NSRI Table Bay (who were at their rescue base at the time conducting routine maintenance) launched their ROTARY ENDEAVOR. An NSRI Table Bay sea rescue vehicle, NSRI Bakoven mobile units and the Red Cross AMS Skymed helicopter also responded.
An extensive sea, air and shore search commenced and after no sign of a paddler could be found. The search intensified and covered an area from Sea Point to Bloubergstrand and across the Bay, in sweeping line searches, to Milnerton Beach and to the Table Bay Port breakwater. The boat slip ways at the Oceana Power Boat Club, Mouille Point and at the Granger Bay Water Club were also investigated but all paddlers that were known to have gone paddling were accounted for.
Despite the extensive search that lasted late into the afternoon, no sign of a paddler was found and it is suspected that the paddler may have been a down-wind paddler.
Down wind paddling is a common sport where paddlers paddle to a point on the ocean and then turn with the wind and follow the wind direction enabling them to make use of the wind direction - down wind - to speed paddle. These paddlers sometimes depart at one point on the ocean and arrange for a pick up at their destination.
With no new information to go on it is believed that this may well have been a false alarm with good intentions.
We are appealing to any paddler who was off the Mouille Point Lighthouse on Saturday 12th October at around 12h40 and who suddenly changed direction while paddling to come forward so that sea rescue can ascertain the pattern.
Paddlers are reminded to carry safety equipment, wear their life-jackets and wear appropriate bright neon colored gear. Let a responsible person know of their launch time, their exact intended route and their return time and to stick to their plans and to let the responsible person know when they return safely. Everyone involved should have their local Sea Rescue emergency number programmed into their phones (Sea Rescue emergency numbers can be found on the NSRI website at www.nsri.org.za). 
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