A busy lead up to Christmas for our rescuers around the coast

INCIDENTS ON SATURDAY, 23rd December, and early morning, Sunday, 24th December:WEST COAST:Rhine Barnes, NSRI Melkbosstrand station commander, said:At 11h20, Saturday, 23rd December, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following a request for assistance from crew aboard a rubber-duck with motor mechanical failure off-shore of Silverstroomstrand.NSRI instructed the skipper to put to anchor until NSRI arrive.The sea rescue craft Rotary's Gift was launched and on arrival on the scene the crew aboard the boat were found safe and a towline was rigged and they were towed to Melkbosstrand and once their boat was recovered no further assistance was required.At 17h57, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew and the NSRI Melkbosstrand lifeguards were activated to reports of a surfer in difficulty off-shore of Ou Skip, Van Riebeeks Strand.Our lifeguards responded on a quad bike and our NSRI crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Brenda was launched.On arrival on the scene we found that 2 bystanders had launched into the surf to try to assist a 16 year old female surfer on holiday who was caught in rip currents but both male bystanders were also caught in rip currents and were being swept out to sea.NSRI lifeguards launched into the surf and rescued the female and one of the men, bringing both to safety on the beach.Our surf rescue craft Spirit of Brenda located and recovered the second man from the water and he was brought safely to the beach.We treated the teenage surfer for hypothermia and following successful treatment she required no further assistance.We commended our NSRI lifeguards, on duty at Melkbosstrand beach, for their swift reaction.KZN - SOUTH COAST:At 08h11, Saturday, 23rd December, NSRI Durban duty crew were activated following reports of a jet-skier in difficulty off-shore of Winkelspruit.While NSRI Durban prepped a sea rescue craft to respond local lifeguards were activated and the lifeguards reached the jet-ski and assisted the man on the jet-ski and the jet-ski was towed to shore by lifeguards and no further assistance was required.PLETTENBERG BAY:Marc Rodgers, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said:At 13h21, Saturday, 23rd December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay medical crew responded to a service station in town where an 18 year old male suffered chest pains. NSRI medics stabilised the patient on the scene before an ambulance arrived and the patient has been transported to hospital for further treatment.At 17h11 our NSRI duty crew and Plettenberg Bay lifeguards launched a search for family members of a 5 year old girl found alone at Robberg 5 Beach. The girl was taken to a lifeguard tower for safe keeping and family members were located on Solar Beach and they were transported on a lifeguard quad bike to be reunited with their daughter. Lifeguards and the bystanders that assisted are commended for their swift actions.EAST LONDON:Geoff McGregor, NSRI East London station commander, said:At 13h15, Saturday, 23rd December, NSRI East London duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Lotto following a request for assistance from 2 men on a 5 meter boat suffering motor mechanical failure off-shore of Glengariff, 15 nautical miles South of East London.The sea rescue craft Spirit of Lotto and Spirit of Rotary EL II were launched and on arrival on the scene we took them under tow and they were towed to East London without incident and their boat was recovered and no further assistance was required.SHELLY BEACH:Jeremiah Jackson, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said:At 04h50, Sunday, 24th December, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated by Shelly Beach Control after a boat capsized in the surf line launching at Shelly Beach.Our duty crew responded and on arrival on the scene the boat and the 3 crewmen, from Johannesburg, were safely ashore and they required no further assistance.All 3 men, experienced boaters, appear to have capsized after a set of waves came through as they were launching.CAPE POINT:Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simons Town station commander, said:At 13h20, Saturday, 23rd December, NSRI Simons Town duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a meter semi-ridgid rubber-duck Patches with 2 male crew onboard reported to have gearbox failure below the Cape Point restaurant.They reported to have collided with an unidentified object in the water which caused damage to the gearbox on both outboard motors.Ski-Boat Mobile, a local boat monitoring station, assisted with communications and NSRI launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III was launched and while responding towards the scene the local private boat Corkage took the casualty craft under tow and began towing them towards Simons Town.We rendezvoused with them between Millers Point and Cape Point and the tow was transferred from Corkage to our sea rescue craft and we towed Patches and her 2 crew to Simons Town without incident.LANGEBAAN:Casper Frylinck, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said:At 08h56, Saturday, 23rd December, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from crew on a 5.5 meter boat at Kraal Baai, Langebaan Lagoon, reporting one of their motors on fire.The sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 5 was launched and on arrival on the scene the crew onboard were found safe and they had already extinguished the fire and they were towed a short distance to Paaltjies where once their boat was recovered no further assistance was required.At 15h56, Our duty crew investigated reports of a kayak with 2 persons onboard overdue and last known to be in the vicinity of Schaapen Island.Family had also begun to search from the shoreline.Our sea rescue craft was prepped to be launched while NSRI crew posted along the shoreline at intervals continued to search and one of the spotters located the Kayak fitting the description South of Schaapen Island and the 2 paddlers appeared to be paddling.While continuing to observe them for signs that they may be in difficulty a ski-boat approached them and after what appeared to be an exchange of words the ski-boat departed and the 2 paddlers continued on their way giving us the impression that they were not in any trouble and we continued to monitor them until they beached safely and their family members joined them and no assistance was required.SOUTH ATLANTIC COAST:Lyall Pringle, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said:At 21h13, Saturday, 23rd December, NSRI Hout Bay duty crew were alerted to reports of a 49 year old fisherman suspected to be suffering a heart attack on the fishing boat Tamara 30 nautical miles from Hout Bay and 22 nautical miles off-shore of Kommetjie.NSRI Kommetjie prepared a sea rescue craft with a medical crew to respond and NSRI Hout Bay launched the sea rescue craft Nadine Gordimer and Albie Matthews.A paramedic from CMR (Cape Medical Response) responded to Hout Bay and a WC Government Health EMS ambulance was activated.The patient was transferred from Tamara to the fishing vessel Hardline who had volunteered to bring the patient towards Hout Bay and communications were assisted by Telkom Maritime radio services.We then got word that the patient was feeling better and the skipper of Hardline offered to bring the patient to Hout Bay harbour to meet paramedics and a rendezvous with NSRI at sea was called off.On arrival at Hout Bay harbour the patient chose to drive himself to see his doctor where it was later confirmed he had suffered an angina attack and he is being treated by his doctor.PORT ALFRED:Juan Pretorius, NSRI Port Alfred station commander, said:At 15h20, Saturday, 23rd December, we were activated to reports of a suspected drowning in progress at West Beach.On arrival on the scene no sign of anyone in any difficulty was found and it was confirmed that this was a false alarm with good intentions. TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONENSRI NATIONAL WATER SAFETY AWARENESS:NSRI are urging the public to be cautious around all water, coastal and inland waters and swimming pools over this festive season.NSRI are asking parents to make sure their children have responsible adult supervision around all water.We are urging the public to prepare, with a safety conscious mindset, before venturing to the beach, swimming pools, lagoons, lakes, rivers and dams.Basic Water Safety Tips from the NSRI are:

1. Children should have responsible adult supervision when in or near water.
2. Swim at beaches where and when lifeguards are on duty and swim between their flags.
3. Don’t drink alcohol before you swim
4. Never swim alone. Swim in groups.
5. Swimming pool fences and a child safe pool cover or net is vital at home swimming pools.
6. Know how to survive rip currents.
7. Don’t attempt a rescue yourself.
8. Do not let children use floating objects, toys or tyre tubes at the beach or on dams. as they may cause you to be blown to deep water by winds.
9. Do not be distracted by your cell phone.
10. Wear lifejackets when you are on a boat
11. If your boat has a kill switch always wear it.
12. Paddlers and boaters should have NSRI’s free RSA App Safetrx cellphone app dowloaded and used on cell phones.
13. Wear bright clothing
14. Rock Anglers should wear lifejackets.
15. Have local emergency numbers programmed into your phone
16. Do not dive into water