Patient medivac'd off fishing trawler

HARTBEESPOORT DAM:Rod Pitter, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam deputy station commander, said:Our NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam duty crew were activated just after 14h00 on Sunday, 06th August, following reports of a 60 year old female paddling on a canoe on the Dam and reported by family to be overdue after not returning home as expected.We launched the rescue craft Afrox Rescuer II and a search commenced, but while searching, at 14h55, the family called to say that the lady had returned home safely.It appears that the paddler had encountered the dense Hyacinth while paddling and she had managed to get to shore and she walked home taking a bit longer than expected and hence the alarm being raised.NSRI commend the family for raising the alarm without delay.PLETTENBERG BAY:Marc Rodgers, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said:At 13h39, Sunday, 06th August, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following a request for medical assistance from the fishing trawler Rigel 4 reporting a 33 year old crewman requiring patient evacuation for lower abdominal pains onboard.The sea rescue craft Free Runner was launched and later the sea rescue craft Leonard Smith was launched.On arrival on the scene, 1 kilometer off-shore in the Bay of Plettenberg Bay, the patient was taken onboard the sea rescue craft Leonard Smith and brought to shore and he was transported to hospital in a stable condition.Later, on hearing that the patient was released from hospital to return home to Cape Town, our NSRI Plettenberg Bay crew made arrangements and we transported the fisherman from hospital to the bus stop and he boarded a bus to go home.Picture attached: By NSRI Plettenberg Bay. Our sea rescue craft at Rigel 4 in the Bay.