Incidents in Port Edward and Jeffreys Bay

Picture attached: by NSRI Port Edward. The collapsed embankment.PORT EDWARD:Alan Stilwell, NSRI Port Edward duty controller, said:At midday, Monday, 08 May, I stopped at my residence front gate after returning from the shops when I noticed a commotion and a mass of water flowing through my neighbours garden.On closer inspection I found neighbours and workers attempting to assist a labourer who was stuck in a muddy embankment up to his knees in water and sludge.It appears that he and colleagues were shovelling earth at the base of a free standing earth face exposure when the embankment collapsed onto an exposed municipal main water feeder line causing a flood of water and a collapsed embankment trapping the 49 year old local man working for a local plumbing company.Colleagues were trying to free him but despite their best efforts he sunk deeper into a hole up to his waist.I activated our NSRI Port Edward duty crew to come to assist and NSRI Port Edward, the SA Police Services, Police Search and Rescue and Medivac ambulance services responded.The man was extricated and he and his 33 year old brother, both slightly injured from the incident, were both transported to hospital by ambulance in stable conditions for a medical examination and both are expected to fully recover.Picture attached: by NSRI Port Edward. The collapsed embankment.JEFFREYS BAY:Rieghard Janse van Rensburg, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station commander, said:At 22h45, Monday, 08 May, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated to assist Police in a search for a local 53 year old man who had not returned home from a walk.Fears were that he may have fallen down an embankment of the Kabaljous River that runs through the family farm.Our sea rescue vehicle, carrying NSRI rescue swimmers, responded to join Police already engaged in a search and an extensive search, including NSRI rescue swimmers deployed into the river, using swift water rescue gear, revealed no sign of the man and at 03h30 the search was suspended and a Police K-9 search and rescue team were due to continue a search from first light on Tuesday, 09th May and a Police Dive Unit were activated to join the search.Then during the morning on Tuesday, 09 May, at around 08h30, an NSRI Jeffreys Bay crew member, who had driven to the area to assist with the ongoing search spotted a man fitting the description and the Police K-9 search and rescue team diverted to the area and they found the man safe and he was returned to his family.The man, who suffers a medical condition that is believed to have contributed to him going missing, was medically assessed by our NSRI paramedic who had spotted him and he was found to not be injured and no further assistance was required.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE