ST FRANCIS BAY:Sarah Smith, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander, said:At 19h25, Friday, 19th January, NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated following a request for medical assistance from the Chokka fishing vessel Viagro.A 33 year old male crewman, from Plettenberg Bay, suffering dehydration onboard the Chokka fishing boat, was taken off the fishing boat by NSRI St Francis Bay onto the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II and he has been brought to shore and transported to hospital by Private care ambulance in a stable condition.
FALSE BAY:Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay station commander, said:NSRI are urging paddlers to only launch onto water wearing a life-jacket and always carry safety equipment (Cell-phone in a water tight plastic bag, red distress flares, a referee whistle worn around the neck) and only launch once the NSRI free cellphone application RSA SafeTrx is loaded onto your phone and in use with your intentions entered onto the app, even if your intentions are to only paddle around a beach front close in-shore.Always paddle in groups of at least 3 paddlers together.Be prepared for any possible emergency.Do not launch into strong off-shore winds unless you are experienced to deal with the expected conditions.At 08h58, Saturday, 20th January, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports from a 23 year old Durbanville man reporting his 54 year old dad to be in distress and being swept out to sea on a sea kayak off-shore of Bikini Beach, Gordons Bay.The sea rescue craft Jack and Irene was launched and NSRI rescue crew scoured the shore line for a male paddler last seen 800 meters off-shore of Harbour Island and being swept out to sea in a gusting 40 knot South Easterly wind.The son confirmed that his dad had no life-jacket, no emergency equipment onboard and had only the intentions to fish close in shore only a few meters off Bikini Beach when he capsized and he was caught by strong winds and was swept away.The son had indicated to his dad to paddle towards Steenbras Point where the coastline is sheltered and he had tried to paddle to Steenbras Point but he was caught in winds further out to sea and he was last seen being swept away by strong winds in the direction of the Muizenberg coastline.With no sign of the paddler being sighted during a search and wind conditions not suitable to an air search MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) assisted NSRI Gordons Bay to plot a search pattern and arranged for outbound aircraft taking off from Cape Town International Airport to be on the look out and Telkom Maritime Radio services broadcast an all ships alert, alerting vessels in false Bay to be on the look-out.NSRI Simons Town launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III and NSRI Hermanus launched the sea rescue craft South Star to respond to join the search and NSRI Strandfontein dispatched NSRI rescue crew to begin a shoreline search along the coastline between Macassar and Strandfontein.Sea conditions were rough with South Easterly winds gusting 40 knot .During an extensive ongoing search, at 11h53, NSRI Strandfontein crew found the man coming ashore on Macassar Beach.He was anxious and concerned, fearing that his son had followed him on a kayak, and he had suffered multiple minor scrapes and bruises from his ordeal at sea.He reported that he had managed to paddle with the wind until he reached Macassar and despite having capsized numerous times he had eventually made it to Macassar Beach. NSRI Strandfontein crew transported him to our NSRI Gordons Bay base to be reunited with his son.He has been advised to go to an emergency room to be observed and checked for non-fatal drowning.
STILL BAY:NSRI can confirm that during an extensive search today, Saturday, 20th January, by Police, a Police Dive Unit, a Police K-9 Search and Rescue team, NSRI Still Bay, Neighbourhood Watch, and a large community response including additional resources arranged by community members, the body of a teenager, who went missing in the Goukou River yesterday, was located and recovered by Police divers.The teenager's body has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.Condolences are conveyed to family and friends of the teenager.
PORT ELIZABETH:Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said:At 08h19, Saturday, 20th January, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew were alerted to prepare for a patient evacuation of a Turkish 53 year old male crewman suffering a dislocated left shoulder on the bulk carrier MV Lady Alara, last Port of call Durban and due in Algoa Bay later.We launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and a Doctor. On arrival on the scene, 8 nautical miles off-shore, the doctor and NSRI rescue crew were put aboard the ship where the patient, in severe pain and swelling, was stabilised and then lowered onto our sea rescue craft secured into a Stokes basket stretcher.The patient was brought to shore aboard the sea rescue craft in a serious but stable condition and he has been taken into the care of an EMS ambulance and transported to hospital.
GLEN BEACH, CAMPS BAY:Johnny Albert, NSRI Bakoven duty coxswain, said:At 14h12, Saturday, 20th January, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports of a drowning in progress at Glen Beach.The sea rescue craft Rotarian Schipper was launched and NSRI rescue swimmers, an NSRI Table Bay sea rescue vehicle and rescue swimmers,WC Government Health EMS, Community Medics, ER24 ambulance services, Law Enforcement, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, Camps Bay CSI and the SA Police Services responded to join City of Cape Town lifeguards who were also responding to the scene.On arrival on the scene, paramedics treated a woman, 44, from Belhar, for non-fatal drowning symptoms and she has been transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition and expected to fully recover.It appears that bystanders noticed a child in difficulty in among rocks and went to the child’s aid. After getting the child and a parent to safety, the woman was noticed floating in the surf nearby and unresponsive.Bystanders, including an adult male and teenagers, rescued her from the water and began with resuscitation efforts, and paramedics, on their arrival, continued to provide medical treatment before stabilising her and transporting her to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a serious but stable condition. She is expected to fully recover and is currently in the care of hospital staff being monitored for non-fatal drowning.
PLETTENBERG BAY:Robbie Gibson, NSRI Plettenberg Bay deputy station commander, said:At 13h11, Saturday, 20th January, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Free Runner, Airlink Rescuer and Ray Farnham following reports of a drowning in progress at Milkwood Glen, Keurbooms Beach.NSRI rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene.On arrival on the scene, a 63 year old German man was found on the beach and he was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms by NSRI medics. He has been transported to hospital by Medlife ambulance in a serious but stable condition and is currently under observation for non-fatal drowning by hospital staff and he is expected to fully recover.It appears that the man got into difficulty in the surf before being rescued by a fellow German man.His wife has accompanied him to hospital.
Picture Andrew Ingram / Sea Rescue
TABLE BAY, SIMONS TOWN:On Friday evening, 19th January, NSRI Simonstown assisted a yacht into the Simons Town harbour and NSRI Table Bay investigated a yacht appearing to be in difficulty off Granger Bay but was found to be at safe anchorage.Both incidents were a result of strong winds that lashed the Cape Peninsula overnight. No injuries were reported and all yachts were safe.
