Calls for East London, Richards Bay and Stillbaai

EAST LONDON:At 05h00, Thursday the 26th of December, NSRI East London volunteer sea rescue duty crew and Dynamic private ambulance services responded to East Beach following reports of a drowning in progress.On arrival on-scene it was found that a local woman, approximately 35 years of age, while being swept out to sea by rip currents, had been rescued from the surf by a colleague and was safe on the beach. It appears that the man had rescued her, and on getting her to the beach, had attempted CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts. During these efforts, according to eye-witnesses, the woman coughed up water before starting to breath spontaneously.She has been transported to hospital by a Dynamic ambulance in a stable condition for observation for secondary drowning and it is expected that she will make a full recovery.It appears that a group of people had partied on the beach throughout the night and the incident happened in the early hours of the morning when some of the party group had taken an early morning dip in the sea. RICHARDS BAY:At 07h30, Thursday the 26th of December, NSRI Richards Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew rescue swimmers and the sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF ROUND TABLE responded to New Mouth, Richards Bay, following reports of a boat capsized in the surf.Sampie Eckman, 60, and his son Harold, 38, from Meyerton, Gauteng, capsized in the surf on their boat SCORPION but on NSRI's arrival on the scene both were found to have managed to get to shore without assistance.Sampie suffered injuries of bruising, possible rib fractures and a laceration to his ear and arm and an existing back injury appears to have been aggravated by the accident.He was treated by sea rescue medics and secured to a trauma board for spinal immobilization as a precaution and both he and his son were airlifted to the Port of Richards Bay heli-pad by the Transnet National Ports Authority rescue helicopter, where they were met by Netcare 911 ambulance services. Sampie has been transported to hospital by ambulance in a stable condition for further medical treatment.Their boat has been recovered.(Photos by Brynn Gericke) NSRI rescue swimmer Jaco vd Walt being flown to casualty by Portnet chopper NSRI's Jaco vd Walt securing the line to the ski boat NSRI's Spirit of Richards Bay assisting the ski boat onto her trailer STILLBAAI:This morning, Thursday the 26th of December, NSRI Stillbaai volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded with their sea rescue craft COLORPRESS II, NSRI medics, the SA Police Services and WC Government Health EMS to the Main Road bridge entrance road to Stillbaai where a young volunteer traffic warden had been run over by a vehicle in a motor vehicle accident.The young lady was fortunately not seriously injured but as a precautionary measure has been transported to hospital by an EMS ambulance in a stable condition for further medical evaluation and treatment. NSRI are urgently appealing to the public to exercise extreme caution around water - inland waters, coastal waters and at swimming pools.