Paddler assisted off Mouille Point

At 09h16, Saturday, 01 November, NSRI Table Bay crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports of a paddler in difficulty between the Mouille Point Lighthouse and Granger Bay.It appears that the paddler, 36 year old CHRISTO SMEDA, from Sea Point, had been battered by two large waves causing him to lose part of his surf-ski from damage after possibly hitting some rocks and he was reportedly in the water using a piece of the damaged surf ski for floatation.A friend of NSRI, Brian Gradner, was an eyewitness on scene. Brian is the nephew of NSRI Honorary Life Governor Howard Godfrey, and he called Howard who on a yacht in Mauritius at the time. Howard stayed on the phone to Brian while he alerted NSRI to the emergency and gave Brian instructions to shout to the casualty who was at risk of being battered on the rocks on the shoreline. Brian shouted the instructions to the casualty, Mr. Smeda, alerting him to the fact that sea rescue were responding and to try to swim further out to sea and to hang onto the floating piece of his surf-ski in an effort to prevent Mr. Smeda from being battered onto the rocks.NSRI Table Bay launched their sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF VODACOM and ROTARY ENDEAVOR, WC Government Health EMS and the Red Cross AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and their rescue dive unit, Ronin Generic Paramedics volunteer ambulance, ER24 ambulance services and Community Medics response paramedics responded.On arrival on-scene the sea rescue craft ROTARY ENDEAVOR found the casualty approximately 30 meters off-shore and rescued Mr. Smeda from the water and found him to be hypothermic.Treatment for hypothermia commenced on the sea rescue craft and the patient was brought to the sea rescue station at the V&A Waterfront in a stable condition where paramedics continued treatment and Mr. Smeda was transported by Ronin Generic Paramedics ambulance to the Cape Town Medi Clinic in a stable condition where he is expected to fully recover following further treatment for hypothermia.Mr. Smeda had been in the water for over half an hour before being rescued. Part of the Surf-ski was recovered by NSRI Table Bay.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONESMS 32287 with your name and a message of support for our rescue crew After warming up, Christo came down to the boathouse to thank his rescuers