Pencil rubber-duck assisted: Hermanus

At 07h16, Friday, 02 December, NSRI Hermanus duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following eye-witness reports of a pencil rubber-duck in trouble next to the New Harbour, Hermanus.An eye-witness reported people in the water and a boat washed onto rocks. It appears that one pencil rubber-duck had washed onto the rocks from unknown causes. A second pencil rubber-duck came close to the same rocks and capsized according to the eye-witness.A third pencil rubber-duck was apparently able to tow the pencil rubber-duck that had capsized back out to sea, out of harms way, where it was righted and we believe that persons that had been thrown out of the rubber-duck when it capsized had managed to get back onboard.NSRI Hermanus duty crew responded to the Hermanus sea rescue base to launch the sea rescue craft Jaytee III and NSRI rescue crew responded directly to the scene.Sea rescue craft were delayed in launching from the slip way at Hermanus harbour after it was found that those involved in this incident had partially blocked the launch slip way with their vehicles and a launch of sea rescue craft could only be achieved after they had moved their vehicles.On arrival on the scene we found all persons from the boat that washed onto rocks were safely ashore and not injured and we advised those involved to recover the boat off the rocks, where the boat had washed onto the rocks, and the boat was recovered off the rocks.The boat that had been capsized was attended to by those involved and it was brought into Hermanus harbour and no one was injured in the capsizing. Those involved in the incident are believed to be from the Stellenbosch University Academy of Military Sciences based at Saldanha Bay.It appears that they are on a coastal tour from Port Elizabeth to Saldanha Bay raising funds for charity that includes land and sea teams of runners, cyclists and sea teams.It appears that this morning they were in calm waters off-shore of the Hermanus harbour when, according to eye-witness reports, one of the boats washed onto rocks and a second boat venturing close to the same rocks capsized.The cause of the boat washing onto the rocks is not known. Pictures attached by NSRI Hermanus show Military students recovering their boat off the rocks. TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE