At 06h45, Tuesday, 01 July, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam crew were alerted by a paddler to a 6m speed boat, with one crew man onboard, who appeared to be stuck in reeds opposite Coves, between the bridge and Magalies Park, on the Magalies River side of the dam.The paddler reported to us that he had come across the man on his boat the previous evening at the same place. Suspecting the man to be needing some help he had offered assistance but the man declined any help and the paddler continued on his way. But, in the early hours of this morning, the same paddler came across the same boat at the same place and the paddler, with good intentions, took it upon himself to raise the alarm requesting NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man being there.Our crew launched our sea rescue craft AFROX RESCUER II and responded to investigate.On arrival on-scene we found the man on his boat in amongst the reeds and we offered our assistance.At first the approximately 60 year old local man declined any help. He told us that he had launched the previous day from Ifafi, which is on the other side of the dam, and that he had spent the night on his boat and was now due to return to Ifafi.Although we found the man to be cold he required no obvious medical assistance and we do not know the circumstances of why he was there. We however, with good intentions, insisted on staying by his side until he could get his boat started. His boat motor to start failed so we opted to take his boat under tow and he had no objection.We safely towed the man on his boat to the Ifafi Aquatic Club and once there fellow aquatic club members assisted the man to recover his boat to a trailer and no further assistance was required.The operation was completed by 10h56.NSRI commend the paddler for taking the initiative to raise the alarm.
