Busy Sunday for our crews along the coast

PLETTENBERG BAY:At 11h30 on Sunday the 14th of June, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a family at Witsand, Robberg Nature Reserve, reporting a 10 year old male suffered a suspected wrist fracture while sand boarding.NSRI crew responded by land to assess the situation and on arrival on the scene found the 10 year old male, from Plettenberg Bay, in the company of friends and family and guarding his right wrist which appeared to be fractured.On a medical assessment by NSRI medics it appeared that the Radius and Ulna on the right wrist were suspected to be fractured and the injury was splinted.With the patient in pain the decision was made to extricate him from the scene from the sea side and the sea rescue craft RAY FARNHAM was launched.On arrival on the scene the patient was transferred onto the sea rescue craft and in a stable condition, with the fracture splinted supported, he was brought to the Plettenberg Bay sea rescue station and taken to hospital by his mother for further treatment. DURBAN:At 12h52 on Sunday the 14th of June, NSRI Durban duty crew were activated following reports of a fisherman fallen into the sea off the South Breakwater at the Port of Durban.NSRI Durban launched the sea rescue craft MEGAN II and on arrival on scene found fishermen and bystanders conducting CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts on a 47 year old male, from Durban.NSRI medics continued with CPR and were joined by ER24 paramedics but sadly, despite extensive CPR efforts, the man was declared deceased on the scene by paramedics.It appears that the fisherman had been walking on the South breakwater after fishing when he reportedly suddenly collapsed unconscious from unknown causes. On collapsing he fell off the breakwater into the sea before being recovered by fellow fishermen and bystanders who raised the alarm and initiated CPR.Police are investigating and the body of the deceased man has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services. CLIFTON:At 14h36 on Sunday the 14th of June, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were activated following an eye-witness reporting a capsized boat approximately half a kilometre off-shore of Clifton with people reported to be clinging onto the upturned hull.NSRI Bakoven’s sea rescue craft ROTARIAN SCHIPPER was on the water at the time conducting routine training exercises in the area and were diverted to respond to the call-out.Following a brief search a 3.5 meter capsized craft was located with a father and son in the water both clinging onto the upturned hull of the casualty boat.The father and son were rescued and found to be hypothermic, exhausted and in shock, and with medical treatment initiated they were taken to NSRI Bakoven sea rescue base aboard the sea rescue craft where they were met by ER24 ambulance services paramedics who continued with medical treatment.The two casualties were rewarmed and treated for shock by paramedics at the sea rescue station and neither required hospitalisation.A 47 year old man, and his 9 year old son, from Kuils River, were fishing off-shore of Clifton and after the son caught two fish and the dad caught one fish they decided to call it a day as the sea was getting rough.While raising their anchor their boat was capsized by a wave.The 9 year old was initially trapped under the hull of the boat and his dad rescued him and together they clung onto the upturned hull of their boat.They were not able to recover their emergency capsize kit from under the boat and they estimate that they had clung to the upturned hull for about an hour before being rescued.NSRI Bakoven were conducting routine training exercises for the NSRI’s coxswain leadership course with NSRI coxswains from NSRI Durban, NSRI East London, NSRI Gordons Bay, NSRI Knysna, NSRI Richards Bay and NSRI Plettenberg Bay at the time less than a kilometre from the van Zyl’s ordeal but had no knowledge of their plight until only one eye-witness raised the alarm after noticing the capsized boat drifting off-shore of Clifton.NSRI commend David Marriott, the only eye-witness, who had been watching the sea from an elevated position from his home in Fresnaye when he noticed the unusual sight of what he thought to be a capsized boat. Dave grabbed his telescope and on closer inspection confirming that it was a capsized boat with people clinging onto the upturned hull he immediately called sea rescue to raise the alarm.David’s call to sea rescue was the only call received to report the capsized boat.NSRI Bakoven’s ROTARIAN SCHIPPER returned to the scene to attempt to recover the casualty craft but unable to right the craft she has been left at anchor off of Clifton and a Maritime Navigational warning posted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services.The owner will arrange salvage efforts.The father has respectfully requested that he and his son’s names are not published in the media. 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