RESCUE OPERATIONS / 7 APRIL 2017

Windsurfer rescued - Kommetjie. Yacht assisted - Mossel Bay

SHELLY BEACH:Jeremiah Jackson, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said: At midday, Wednesday, 05 April, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew prepared to launch the sea rescue craft Spirit of Dawn following a request for assistance from the Shelly Beach Control for the boat Lucky Sands with mechanical failure on one of her motors with 10 crew onboard off-shore of Shelly Beach.While we were preparing to launch there were two local boats, Tide and Strike, who offered to assist and they took 9 crew off the casualty boat Lucky Sands and brought them to shore safely and without incident and Lucky Sands skipper brought his boat in on one motor without incident and no further assistance was required.All involved in the operation are commended for their efforts.KOMMETJIE:Ian Klopper, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said: At 11h50, Thursday, 06 April, NSRI Kommetjie duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a windsurfer appearing to be in difficulty at Outer Komm, Kommetjie.The Sea Rescue craft Spirit of the Vines was launched and on arrival on the scene a 43 year old local man was found paddling towards the shoreline at the back-line off-shore of Longbeach. The man was not injured and taken aboard our sea rescue craft and his board and sail were recovered.He was brought safely to shore at the Kommetjie slipway and he required no further assistance.It appears that while windsurfing a lull in strong gusting to 35 knot winds in a 3.5 meter swell caused him to be unable to get wind-born and he had no choice but to start paddling towards shore when the alarm was raised. MOSSEL BAY: Andre Fraser, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said: At 00h18, Friday, 07 April, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a yacht running aground at Santos Beach.We launched the sea rescue craft Rescue 15 and on arrival on the scene we found the yacht Mega Motion unmanned and we towed the yacht into the Mossel Bay harbour without incident and the yacht was safely moored.It appears that the yacht dragged her anchor from her moorings off Santos Beach before landing up in shallow surf off Santos Beach. IMG-20170407-WA0013