SEA RESCUE – National – Saturday, 26th March. Light aircraft makes emergency landing, Plettenberg Bay. Two children missing, presumed drowned, Richards Bay:
RICHARDS BAY:At 13h53, Saturday, 26th March, NSRI Richards Bay duty crew, while at sea on a training exercise were alerted to reports of two children missing in the water between Bay Hall and Pelican Beach, Richards Bay.NSRI Richards Bay sea rescue craft diverted to the scene where a search commenced for two children reportedly missing in the water.Netcae 911 ambulance services were in attendance and the SA Police Services and a Police Dive Unit were activated.Despite an extensive search no sign of the missing children has been found and a Police Dive Unit will take over an ongoing search operation.NSRI have not determined the ages of the missing children or if these missing children are male or female as Police have attended to family and the Police are dealing with the details of the incident.It appears that an ambulance service had been activated to the drowning accident only at least half an hour after the incident had taken place and only once they arrived on the scene to find that there were two children missing in the water they then activated sea rescue for assistance.It is not known to NSRI the circumstances that led to the two children going missing in the water.
PLETTENBERG BAY:At 12h22, Saturday, 26th March, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports of an aeroplane accident at Lookout Beach, Plettenberg Bay.The sea rescue craft Ray Farnham Rescuer was launched and an NSRI rescue vehicle, the SA Police Services and local lifeguards responded.On arrival on the scene a Cessna light aircraft was found to have made an emergency landing on the beach and it is believed that the light aircraft may have suffered engine failure while flying over Keurbooms Lagoon while on a pilot training flight from George Airport forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing on the beach.Two men were onboard the aircraft, the pilot instructor and trainee pilot, and they were not injured and the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) will investigate.