Incidents at Strand, Melkbosstrand, Plettenberg Bay, Langebaan:

Image: Capestay.comCorrection: The 20 year old male who sadly drowned at Strand Beach on 27th December (see statement below) was from Belhar in Cape Town and not from De Aar.An address given shows that the 20 year old male stayed in Belhar ext. 13 which is the same address given for where the 17 year old male, from De Aar, who sadly drowned in Strand on 24th December was residing while on a holiday from De Aar.NSRI apologise for the incorrect information.STRAND:At 15h31, Wednesday, 27th December, NSRI Gordon's Bay duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports of a drowning in progress at Strand Beach.Strand Surf Lifesaving Club lifeguards patrolling the beach had noticed a group of young males appearing to be in difficulty in the water at Bens on the Beach.Lifeguards raised the alarm and went into the surf and rescued 2 men, aged 20 from the water.NSRI Gordon's Bay dispatched a sea rescue vehicle and launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Mercantile and GB Med Security ambulance services, ER24 ambulance services, WC Government Health EMS, Law Enforcement and Law Enforcement Marine and the SA Police Services responded.While bringing the 2 men out of the water the lifeguards were approached by members of the public informing the lifeguards that there had been another man and a woman with the 2 young men.The lifeguards handed the 2 rescued men over to members of the public and the lifeguards returned into the surf and started a search for a missing man, aged 20, and a woman, believed to be aged 20 in the water.As NSRI arrived on the scene the lifeguards had located and were bringing the man out of the water and CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts conducted by NSRI, lifeguards and paramedics were initiated on the male but after all efforts to resuscitated the man were exhausted on the scene paramedics declared the man deceased and the body of the deceased man has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and an inquest docket has been opened by Police.Additional lifeguards, the NSRI sea rescue craft and a Law Enforcement Marine Jet-ski searched for the woman when approached by Police who confirmed that they had determined that the woman, who had been swimming with the 3 men, was already out of the water and in the care of family members on the beach and paramedics treated her for shock and for non fatal drowning symptoms and she has been released requiring no further assistance.The two 20 year old men who were rescued were transported to hospital by ambulance in stable conditions.The 4 young adults are from Belhar, Cape Town.NSRI have not determined if they are related or friends of a 17 year old male, from De Aar, who drowned at the same place on Strand Beach on Sunday, 24th December and was staying in the same area in Belhar while on a holiday from De Aar.Condolences are conveyed to family of the deceased man.NSRI are appealing to bathers to only swim where and when lifeguards are on duty and to swim between the safe swimming zones that lifeguards post using their red and yellow flags.MELKBOSSTRAND:NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew and NSRI Melkbosstrand lifeguards assisted an elderly man at 11h19, Wednesday, 27th December, who was walking on the beach when he and his wife were separated.He sought assistance to try to locate his wife.During a search on the beach the 67 year old female was located at 12h19 and she was reunited with her husband and no further assistance was required.Then at 14h33 NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were alerted following a number of phone calls from concerned members of the public reporting a kite-surfer about a kilometer off-shore of Big Bay, Bloubergstrand, in the water and appearing to be unable to get his kite airborne.Blouberg Surf Lifesaving Club lifeguards launched a rescue rubber-duck and the male kite-boarder was located at sea and brought back to shore without incident and no further assistance was required.PLETTENBERG BAY:During the early afternoon of Wednesday, 27th December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty controller was called by a Chinese tourist who was separated from his daughter, 30, while hiking on the Robberg Trail.NSRI Plettenberg Bay assisted the man telephonically to get back to the Robberg Nature Reserve car park where he found and was reunited with his daughter who had walked ahead to the car park earlier after being separated from her dad on the trail and no further assistance was required.At 16h24, NSRI Plettenberg Bay medical crew, at the NSRI Plettenberg Bay rescue base, treated a 29 year old Argentinian man suffering a dislocated shoulder while body surfing in waves.Lifeguards assisted the man on the beach following the accident and lifeguards brought the man to the NSRI Plettenberg bay rescue base for further treatment and he was transported to hospital for further treatment and following treatment he has been released from hospital.

LANGEBAAN:NSRI Mykonos duty crew were placed on alert at 15h40, Wednesday, 27th December, following an NSRI Mykonos crewman observing a Hobie-Cat capsized inside the reserve.The Hobie-Cat washed ashore at Bird Hide and NSRI Mykonos crew assisted to get the craft onto the beach and the sailor was transported home to Churchaven by NSRI and he will recover his Hobie-Cat tomorrow.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE