Incidents at Cape Point, Sea Point, Mossel Bay, Plettenberg Bay

CAPE POINT:Ian Klopper, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said: At 22h06, Sunday, 02 December, NSRI Kommetjie, NSRI Simons Town and NSRI Hout Bay duty crews were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following multiple eye-witness reports of multiple flares sighted between Smitswinkel Bay and Olifantsbospunt, Cape Point.Although the flares sighted were described as orange and white, indicating white flares, NSRI crew were dispatched to investigate along both sides of Cape Point, the False Bay side and the Atlantic side and sea rescue craft were launched to respond towards Cape Point on the Atlantic Seaboard side.By 02h00, with no signs of any vessels, craft or persons appearing to be in difficulty and with no reports of anyone overdue or missing NSRI stood down and all three sea rescue station crews returned to base.The situation continued to be monitored throughout the night but there remained no report and no indication that there was any kind of emergency requiring the deployment of flares. The reason for the multiple flare activation remains a mystery.NSRI are appealing to the public not to set off flares, unless in a dire, life threatening emergency.SEA POINT:Quentin Botha, NSRI Table Bay station commander, said: At 09h06, Wednesday, 06th December, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of what appeared to be a body floating in the water 300 meters off the Sea Point Promenade. A Police Dive Unit were placed on alert.While our crew prepared to launch a sea rescue craft we dispatched crew to the land side to investigate with binoculars. It was confirmed that it was only a card board box floating in the water but, to the naked eye, it did actually look like a body floating in the water.We appealed to the local Atlantic Seaboard Boating Network, who launch boats regularly from Granger Bay, on leisure cruises, to pick up the box if they happened to be going past.Alon Kowen and Martin Gautier, on the boat 'Without Reserve', were kind enough to retrieve the box during the morning and the box has been disposed of.NSRI commended the eye-witnesses who alerted NSRI with their good intentions after being certain that what was seen may have been a body in the water. Image as reported from concerned eye witness Pic by Alon Kowen: The cardboard box recovered from the water in the hands of Martin Gautier off Sea Point. MOSSEL BAY:Andre Fraser, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said: At 16h12, Wednesday, 06th December, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a yacht running aground at Santos Beach. We dispatched the sea rescue craft Rescue 15 and St Blaze Rescuer. NSRI rescue crew were sent to the land side.On arrival on the scene the yacht Day Off, with a couple onboard (both with South African Citizenship but from Poland) had run aground after their anchor chain snapped in a 15 to 20 knot Easterly wind and 3 to 4 meter swells. On a voyage, they had come to anchor in Mossel Bay to shelter from an approaching storm.We used ropes and our sea rescue craft to pull the yacht out to sea and we brought the yacht to a safe mooring at Mossel Bay Yacht Club where once safely moored they required no further assistance.Then we assisted a German couple on the yacht St Michelle, also on a voyage, to get safely into the harbour. They were brought in with the assistance of our sea rescue craft without incident and once safely moored they required no further assistance. The yacht 'Day Off' run aground at Santos Beach. PLETTENBERG BAY:Marc Rodgers, NSRI Plettenberg bay station commander, said:On Monday, 03 December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay medical crew responded to the roadway outside the Plettenberg Bay Fire Station where a woman was struck by a car in an accident.The woman was treated for injuries and transported to hospital by a WC Government Health EMS ambulance in a stable condition.Then at 11h06 our NSRI medical teams responded to the N2 freeway opposite 'Thyme and Away' where a multiple motor vehicle accident occured.Plettenberg Bay Fire and Rescue Services, WC Government Health EMS, Med-Life ambulance services, Plettenberg Bay Traffic Services and the SA Police Services responded to join NSRI Plettenberg Bay medics on the scene.6 patients from a multiple motor vehicle collision were treated for injuries and transported to hospital by ambulances, 2 in serious but stable conditions and 4 in stable conditions.NSRI transported the wife of one of the casualties into town. All services on the scene were commended for the joint operation effort.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE