Teenager drowns at JBay and rescues at Gordons Bay and Kommetjie

JEFFREYS BAY:Rieghard Janse van Rensburg, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station commander, said:At 08h46, Sunday, 18th December, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Paradise Beach Lagoon, Jeffreys Bay.The Kouga emergency response plan was activated and NSRI Jeffreys Bay dispatched our sea rescue vehicle, EC Government Health EMS, The SA Police Services and the Kouga Municipal lifeguards were activated.On arrival on the scene it was confirmed that a 16 year old male, from Port Elizabeth, while playing beach ball with friends, he had slipped into hole underwater and he had disappeared underwater.Six NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue swimmers and two Kouga Municipal lifeguards formed a sweeping line free dive search and during the search the body of the teenager was located and recovered.Paramedics declared the teenager deceased and the body has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.NSRI and emergency services have conveyed sincere condolences to the family, the mother, father and sister, that were on the scene and they are being assisted by trauma counsellors.ROOI ELS:Ryan Holmes, NSRI Gordons Bay duty coxswain, said:At 10h29, Sunday, 18th December, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a man swept off rocks into the sea at Rooi Els.While preparing to respond we were informed that the man was out of the water and unconscious.Our NSRI rescue vehicle, Gordons Bay Security ambulance services and WC Government Health EMS ambulance and a rescue squad were already responding to the scene and on arrival on the scene we found a 49 year old male, from Milnerton, suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms and suffering from a seizure.Our sea rescue craft Jack and Irene was dispatched to the scene in case we needed to evacuated the patient, from the bottom of the 50 metre cliff, from the sea side. But the patient was secured into a stokes basket stretcher and the rescue teams walked him up the cliff path to an EMS ambulance. He has been transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.KOMMETJIE:Kelly-Ann Irving, NSRI Kommetjie duty controller, said:At 09h53, Sunday, 18th December, NSRI Kommetjie duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from 2 men, aged 43 and 79, on a 4.2 meter rubber-duck, experiencing motor mechanical failure off-shore of the Kommetjie slip-way.Our sea rescue craft IL Battello responded and we towed the boat to the Kommetjie slip-way without incident where one of our sea rescue crew, a boat motor mechanic, repaired their motor and the 2 men were able to return to sea to continue fishing.Then, while on stand-by at the Kommetjie boat slip-way we assisted in three different incidents where cars were stuck in kelp while launching and recovering their boats from the slip-way.Our sea rescue tractor was used to tow two cars to safety and we assisted to recover a boat for one vehicle that had also gotten stuck.