Hermanus and Wolfgat Nature Reserve

Photos / 21 July 2017

HERMANUS:


Deon Langenhoven, NSRI Hermanus station commander, said: At 13h44, Friday, 21st July, NSRI Hermanus duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of 2 people in difficulty on a double sea-kayak off Vermont, Hermanus

The sea rescue craft Jaytee III was launched and NSRI rescue crew responded to the scene by road.

On arrival on the scene NSRI crew on the shore found a 31 year old male and an 11 year old male in the water and swimming towards the shoreline.

Both were wearing life-jackets.

It appears that they had capsized while paddling and after capsizing we believe that the double sea-kayak was swept away from them by the wind and they were swimming towards the shoreline.

Fearing that they would be battered against the rocks when they reached the shoreline we waved them away encouraging them to remain off-shore using the flotation of their life-jackets to stay afloat and not to approach the shoreline and gesturing towards them to show that a rescue craft was well on its way.

They obeyed the instructions and a short while later our sea rescue craft arrived on the scene and they were both rescued from the surf and brought to our sea rescue base aboard our sea rescue craft Jaytee III.

WC Government Health EMS were summoned to our sea rescue base and NSRI medics and EMS paramedics treated both for mild hypothermia and they were released requiring no further assistance.

They are members of a local church group.

The casualties Louis Hauptfleish, 31, from Stellenbosch, and Zachary Truter, 11, from Paarl,  share a laugh at our sea rescue station in Hermanus
Zachary in his new NSRI beanie

WOLFGAT NATURE RESERVE:

Vaughn Seconds, NSRI Strandfontein station commander, said: At 14h51, Friday, 21st July, NSRI Strandfontein duty crew launched the sea rescue craft I&J Rescuer III and our Discovery Rescue Runner to assist the Police Dive Unit and the SA Police Services to recover a body of an unidentified man found on the beach in a barely accessible location of the Wolfgat Nature Reserve.

The body of the unidentified man could not be removed from the land side and NSRI Strandfontein were requested by the Police divers to assist in recovering the body from the sea side.

Police divers were in attendance at the body and NSRI transported the body on the sea rescue craft to Mnandi where the body has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.

TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE