RESCUE OPERATIONS / 12 APRIL 2015

Calls for Kommetjie, Shelly Beach, Mykonos and Richards Bay:

KOMMETJIEAt 15h28, Friday, 10th April, NSRI Hout Bay duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) reporting a 5 meter local fishing ski-boat TANTASWA, with 3 local crew onboard, that had been found 6 nautical miles off-shore of Slangkop Lighthouse, Kommetjie adrift in thick fog by the fishing trawler REIGER 4.REIGER 4 raised the alarm and volunteered to stand by the fishing boat until sea rescue arrived.Our NSRI Hout Bay duty crew launched the sea rescue craft NADINE GORDIMER and on arrival on-scene took TANTASWA and her 3 crew under tow and towed them safely to Hout Bay harbour where once their boat was recovered they required no further assistance.It appears that TANTASWA had suffered motor and electrical failure. Unable to raise the alarm TANTASWA drifted in thick fog until REIGER 4 happened to come across them. HB01

Once the rescue crew reached the casualty craft, the fog had lifted, but they were still stuck with no motor or electrical power.RICHARDS BAYAt 17h02, Saturday, 11th April, NSRI Richards Bay duty crew launched the sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF ROUND TABLE following reports from the Transnet National Ports Authority of a canoe, with two local males onboard, aged 18 and 21, that had paddled across the harbour channel but had been caught by a strong wind and appeared unable to paddle back against the wind.On arrival on the scene our NSRI sea rescue craft took them under tow and towed them safely back across the shipping channel to shore where once ashore they required no further assistance.

ST HELENA BAY:

At 16h38, Sunday, 12th April, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following reports of a 4.2 meter Muna fishing craft, LUCILLE, with 3 St Helena Bay fishermen onboard, adrift at sea off St Helena Bay following motor failure.

NSRI Mykonos duty crew towed our sea rescue craft GEMINI RESCUER II to St Helena Bay and launched.

Following an extensive search operation at 20h00 the small fishing boat was located 15 nautical miles off-shore, all 3 men were safe, and a tow line was rigged and they were towed safely to St Helena Bay where once ashore they required no further assistance.

SHELLY BEACHAt 06h50, Saturday, 11th April, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated following reports from the Sonny Evans Small Craft Harbour Control of the boat KING MACKEREL lost steering power while exiting to go to sea through the surf line.NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew launched the sea rescue craft CHALLENGER II and took local boatsman Wayne Marsh out to KING MACKEREL accompanied by a tiller arm.Once at KING MACKEREL the skippers wife and daughter were transferred onto our sea rescue craft and Wayne Marsh was transferred onto KING MACKEREL where he fitted the tiller arm and Wayne and the skipper brought KING MACKEREL safely to shore using the tiller arm for steering.NSRI brought the two ladies safely to shore aboard our sea rescue craft.Once safely ashore no further assistance was required and the skipper will have the steering of KING MACKEREL repaired.

SHELLY BEACH 2:

Pieter Coetzee, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said:

At about 16h00 on Sunday, 12th April, while preparing to close the sea rescue base at Shelly Beach following our routine training day our NSRI duty crew noticed a capsized Aqua Quad off Shelly Beach and our crew immediately launched our sea rescue craft CALTEX CHALLENGER II.

On arrival on the scene we found a 55 year old local man had capsized on his Aqua Quad.

A private boat had come to his assistance and NSRI rafted the Aqua Quad to the side of our sea rescue craft and the man, who was not injured, and his craft were brought safely ashore and no further assistance was required.'

A flooded Aqua Quad is brought to safety by Caltex Challenger II on Sunday 12 April. Picture Antoinette Le Roux/NSRI.

A flooded Aqua Quad is brought to safety by Caltex Challenger II on Sunday 12 April. Picture Antoinette Le Roux/NSRI.The Shelly Beach pictures are available for download from Sea Rescue's Flick page.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONESMS 32287 with your name and a message of support for our Sea Rescue crew. SMS charged at R1.