Unmanned boats taking water in Knysna & Gordons Bay. Sailor casualty evacuated off passing ship - Port Elizabeth

KNYSNA:Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said:At 15h19, Sunday, 25th December, NSRI Knysna duty crew dispatched our sea rescue craft Jolen and our rescue vehicle to assist owners of boats at the Belvedere moorings where boats were taking water.Four boats were taking water at their moorings suspected to have been caused by the stiff gusting 30 knot South Easterly winds.On our arrival on the scene owners of three of the four boats had managed to pump water from their boats and had their boats re-floated but one boat had completely sunk.We set up water extrication pumps and assisted by SA National Parks rangers, who had responded to assist, the boat was re-floated and once safely tied to her moorings no further assistance was required.GORDONS BAY:Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay station commander, said:At 08h11, Monday, 26th December, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated following reports of the boat Swanie Zero, unmanned, taking water at her moorings in Harour Island.Our crew dispatched our sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski and our sea rescue vehicle and we managed to pump the water free of the boat using water extrication pumps and moved the boat to a slip way where it was recovered onto a trailer and the owner will make arrangements to repair the boat and investigate the cause of water ingress. NSRI Gordons Bay sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski at the casualty boat Swanie Zero at Harbour Island.PORT ELIZABETH:Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said:At 08h43, Monday, 26th December, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew, aboard the private boat Beast, belonging to Albatross Off-shore Services, who provided their boat to assist, launched accompanied by two EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics and an interpreter to rendezvous with the 327 meter ore carrier, Cosco Ansteel, last port of call Brazil, to patient evacuate a 31 year old Chinese crewman, the vessels 2nd Engineer, suffering suspected appendicitis.Due to the larger number of personnel accompanying the operation the private boat the Motor Vessel Beast was seconded to assist.On arrival on the scene the patient, walking wounded, was transferred onto the MV Beast and in the care of EMS rescue paramedics he was brought safely to the Port of Port Elizabeth in a stable condition and he has been transported to hospital by ambulance. TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE