WITSAND:At 12h35, Saturday, 02nd August, NSRI Witsand crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a boat capsized at The Bar, in the mouth of the Breede River, in rough sea swells and a light Westerly wind.We launched FALCON RESCUER and WC Government Health EMS responded.On arrival it was found that the Cape Nature Conservation patrol boat, CHARADON CAPE NATURE, a 7.6 meter rigid inflatable boat, had capsized at The Bar with two Cape Nature Conservation officers onboard.It appears that one of the officers, a 28 year old man, may have been trapped under the boat after it capsized and he, it appears, released his life jacket to get free from under the boat and he was rescued onto the sea rescue craft, found to be semi-conscious suffering near drowning symptoms.The second man was located swimming towards shore, still wearing his life jacket, about ten meters from the boat and he was rescued onto the sea rescue craft.Both men are from Potsberg. Both men were brought safely to shore aboard our sea rescue craft. The 28 year old man has been treated by WC Government Health EMS paramedics for near drowning symptoms and he has been transported to hospital in a stable condition by EMS ambulance for further treatment and for observation for secondary drowning and he was released from hospital fully recovered later the same day.The second man did not require medical assistance.NSRI will assist Cape Nature Conservation to recover the capsized boat on Monday, 04th August.
ST FRACIS BAY:At 11h00, Saturday, 02nd August, NSRI St Francis Bay crew were activated following a request for assistance from the 23 meter Long Line fishing trawler CAPE VIDAL reporting to have rope, nets and a chain fouled in her motor propellors.Accompanied by a diver, we launched our Sea Rescue craft SPIRIT OF ST FRANCIS II and arrived on-scene, between St Francis Bay and Oyster Bay, 6 nautical miles off-shore. The diver was deployed into the water to investigate and the fouled motors appear to require specialised equipment to cut the rope, netting and chain free and could not be freed in the moment.With all crew safe onboard and the vessel well off-shore in an Easterly wind a sister ship was arranged to tow the long liner vessel to St Francis Bay where arrangements are being made for a specialised team of divers to carry out the operation of cutting the motors free from the entanglement.The long liner has been towed safely to next to the harbour wall at St Francis Bay.NSRI St Francis Bay remained on high alert to assist until the vessel was brought into St Francis Bay.
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