Rescue Round up

SIMONS TOWN:“On Sunday, 20th December, NSRI Simons Town duty crew activated to assist CMR (Cape Medical Response) paramedics at Boulders Beach, Simons Town.CMR paramedics were attending to a 37 year old man from Wynberg, Cape Town, who had reportedly slipped on rocks and fractured his leg, in a barely accessible area at Boulders Beach.The man, treated by CMR paramedics, was secured into a Scoop Stretcher, and hiked out of the area, including negotiating a narrow tunnel on the only route back to the car park.He was brought safely to the ambulance at the Boulders Beach car park and transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.JEFFREYS BAY:NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew responded on Sunday, 20th December, to 1km East of Kabeljou’s where an angler was reported to be being swept out to sea. A Private Care ambulance also responded.On arrival on the scene it was found that the adult male fisherman, from Uitenhage, had been assisted out of the water by his friends and he was medically checked by NSRI medics and released not injured.RICHARDS BAY:At 10h15, Monday, 21st December, NSRI Richards Bay launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Round Table and Spirit of Richards Bay following sightings of red distress flares being fired off-shore of Richards Bay.A 6 meter Catamaran fishing boat, with 5 men onboard, had capsized after taking water and being swamped by waves.A private boat also responded to assist and rescued all 5 men from the water.On NSRI’s arrival on the scene the 5 men, aged between 18 and 50, were transferred onto the sea rescue craft. Their boat was righted and towed to shore and the 5 men, not injured, once safely ashore, required no further assistance. A 6m Catamaran fishing boat, with 5 men onboard, had capsized after taking water and being swamped by waves.STILL BAY:At 14h10, Monday, 21st December, NSRI Still Bay duty crew responded aboard the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis to East of Morris Point following reports of two people in difficulty sailing on a Hobie Cat.On arrival on the scene a 31 year old husband and his 30 year old wife, from Pretoria, were rescued from the water. Their Hobie Cat had been demasted and capsized in gusting 25 knot winds and a 4 meter swell and they had been found drifting and were commended for staying with their floating hull of the Hobie Cat.Both were not injured and NSRI righted the casualty craft which was towed to shore and once safely ashore they required no further assistance.SHELLY BEACH:At 08h45, Tuesday, 22nd December, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Dawn to assist the charter fishing boat Shongololo reporting one of their two motors with mechanical failure and taking on water at the Southern Pinnacle at Protea Banks.A fellow charter boat Gallop Away also went to their assistance and took the charter passengers off Shongololo and they brought them safely to shore without incident.NSRI Shelly Beach then towed Shongololo to shore without incident.The skipper and charter companies were commended for their quick action in ensuring the safety of their passengers.EAST LONDON:On Tuesday, 22nd December, at 09h08, NSRI East London duty crew were activated following a report from a young teenager, Eden Morgan, at Yellow Sands, East London, reporting witnessing 2 children on Sea-Kayaks being swept out to sea at Yellow Sands. The father of one of the children and his cousin was apparently holding onto the Sea Kayaks and being swept out to sea with the children.Eden, 13, was with his friends Sebastian van der Merwe, 13, Tom Lyndhurst, 14, (boys) and Jaimee van der Merwe, 12, and Lhea Johnston, 12, (girls) - all from East London.They could see that the 4 casualties were in trouble and they called Sea Rescue to raise the alarm but they went further by keeping the NSRI and the Police responding resources updated on the position of the 4 casualties who were by now deep in the Bay and being swept away in big, rough sea conditions and strong currents.Eden and his friends kept a visual of the unfolding events and kept NSRI responding resources abreast of the developments.NSRI launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Rotary III and the Police K-9 search and rescue activated.The 4 were being swept across the Bay towards the direction of Glen Eden and later the two children were close enough to shore to swim to the beach while two men on Jet-Ski’s, also seeing them in difficulty, went to their aid. They assisted the father and his cousin onto the Sea- Kayaks and towed them towards the beach towards Glen Eden where NSRI’s sea rescue craft, having been guided by Eden Morgan to their position, arrived on the scene. They were rescued and brought safely to shore to be reunited with family and the two children, aged 14 and 12, who were not injured.Eden Morgan and his 4 friends, Sebastian, Tom, Jaimee and Lhea, are highly commended for the role they played in the rescue, showing a presence of mind to keep rescue resources that were responding to the scene abreast of the unfolding developments. The two men on their jet-ski’s are also commended for going out to assist.It appears that the father, Andrew Gall, 41, his cousin Ronald Gall, 39, and the two children, Matthew Gall, 12, and Keegan Aagenaker, 14, from Four Ways, Johannesburg, had swum out to sea with the children, who were on two Sea-Kayaks, holding onto the Sea-Kayaks but were soon deep into the Bay and being swept away by currents in rough seas.They did not want to try to head to shore at that stage because of rough seas and a rocky shoreline and opted instead to just go with the currents.NSRI have commended them for staying with the floating paddle-craft and only allowing the two children to swim ashore when they were close enough to Glen Eden Beach to make the distance.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONESMS 32287 (R1/SMS) with your name and a message of support for our Sea Rescue crew It appears that the father, Andrew Gall, 41, his cousin Ronald Gall, 39, and the two children, Matthew Gall, 12, and Keegan Aagenaker, 14, from Four Ways, Johannesburg, had swum out to sea with the children, who were on two Sea-Kayaks, holding onto the Sea-Kayaks but were soon deep into the Bay and being swept away by currents in rough seas.