Incidents at Sandy Bay, Witsand, Paccaltsdorp, Plettenberg Bay

SANDY BAY:At 09h00, Sunday 05 March, NSRI Hout Bay, NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Kommetjie dispatched sea rescue craft to Sandy Bay following eye-witness accounts of a whale beached.On arrival on the scene a juvenile Humpback Whale, approximately 8 meters in length, was found beached and alive.NSRI volunteers stood by on the scene, securing the scene, and the whale remained in shallow water which assisted with cooling.The Marine Animal Stranding Network was activated and the City of Cape Town dispatched Law Enforcement and Disaster Risk Management and Veterinary Surgeons together with the Department of Environmental Affairs Oceans and Coasts, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the SA Police Services.NSRI were released from the scene at around midday.It was determined by Vets that the whale was in ill health and officials humanely euthanised the whale.NSRI Hout Bay were requested to assist again later in the day and NSRI Hout Bay dispatched sea rescue craft to return to the scene at 15h00 where attempts are being made to remove the whale carcass from the beach to be towed to Hout Bay by NSRI sea rescue craft where the City of Cape Town cleansing department will remove the whale for disposal.Picture attached: By NSRI Hout Bay of the Humpback whale beached at Sandy Bay.WITSAND:Theo Erasmus, NSRI Witsand station commander, said:We launched our sea rescue craft Breede Rescuer at 08h10, Sunday, 05 March, to assist 4 men on a 5.5 meter rigid inflatable boat suffering steering failure, 2.2 nautical miles off-shore of Witsand.They had alerted a passing boat who called NSRI.We towed them to shore where they required no further assistance.WILDERNESS:Robert van Helsdingen, NSRI Wilderness station commander, said:At 14h58, Sunday, 05 March, NSRI Wilderness duty crew dispatched a shore crew and the sea rescue craft Oscars Rescue to the Gwain River Mouth, near to Pacaltsdorp, following reports of a drowning in progress.The AMS/EMS Skymed rescue helicopter, George Fire and Rescue Services, WC Government Health EMS and the SA Police Services also responded.On arrival on the scene a 23 year old man was found on the beach and he was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms and transported to hospital in a stable condition.An extensive air, sea and shore search for a 21 year old man missing in the water revealed no sign of the missing man and a Police Dive Unit will continue an ongoing search.It appears that the 23 year old man got into difficulty in rip currents and he was swept out to sea but he managed to reach rocks and get out of the water.A 21 year old man got into difficulty and disappeared under water after he reportedly went into the water to try to help the 23 year old man.Police are investigating.PLETTENBERG BAY:At 16h57, Sunday, 05 March, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated to respond to Robberg 5 Beach following reports of a drowning in progress.Bitou Municipal lifeguards, the NSRI sea rescue craft Airlink Rescuer and Ray Farnham, NSRI rescue swimmers, the SA Police Services, Medlife ambulance services and our NSRI station doctor responded.A 51 year old Austrian man was rescued from the water and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts were commenced on the man on the beach and these efforts were assisted by a Canadian doctor and by a German doctor who happened to be on the beach at the time.Despite extensive CPR efforts sadly the man was declared deceased and the body of the man has been taken into the care of the Police and the Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.Counsellor services are being provided to the wife of the deceased man and Tourism officials and the Austrian Consulate is assisting. TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE