Dutch tourist assisted at Plett

File imageMarc Rodgers, NSRI Plettenberg Bay deputy station commander, said: 'At 16h40, Friday, 09th October, NSRI Plettenberg Bay crewman Nic van den Handel, out on a daily exercise run to the Robberg Nature Reserve, had come across two men carrying their injured friend.It appears that a 25 year old Dutch tourist felt pain in his foot yesterday but thinking nothing of it he embarked on a hike today with his two friends, both 29, one from Holland and one from Miami, USA.During the hike the pain in his foot grew more severe and after twisting his foot on rocks he was unable to continue and eventually, on the Robberg Nature Reserve Wild Side, unable to apply pressure to his left foot his two friends began to carry him and they had carried him already for three hours when the NSRI volunteer happened upon them while out on his daily run.Assistance was requested from Nic and the three tourists were happy to have found help. NSRI launched our DISCOVERY Rescue Runner and our sea rescue craft LEONARD SMITH.On arrival on the scene, in heavy sea conditions, our sea rescue craft LEONARD SMITH could not get close enough to rocks to transfer the patient onto her.The DISCOVERY Rescue Runner was able to negotiate the swells and get close enough to the rocks, in between swells, to transfer the patient from the rocks onto the DISCOVERY Rescue Runner and he was transported out to LEONARD SMITH then brought to our sea rescue base where a friend collected him and took him to hospital for further treatment.With fading light we dispatched a land rescue party and in darkness, using torches and headlamps, we hiked the two friends of the patient safely out of the Robberg Nature Reserve to their vehicles and they required no further assistance.The EMS/AMS Skymed helicopter had been launched to assist but was cancelled en-route as she was no longer needed.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