Donate Shop Find a Base Call for Help Now

NSRI EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTRE (EOC)

087 094 9774
UPDATE: Corrections from the mom of the young boy:
For the record, I would like to make a few corrections to the details above:
  • Sylvan (Kommetjie) was stuck in chest deep mud for several (+3.5) hours before anyone could physically get to him
  • His father was not able to be with us over the weekend because he had to work. It was a close family friend, Tim (Noordhoek), who very slowly and carefully made his way, via a series of 2 SUP manoeuvre’s on top of the mud, out to Sylvan so that he could get him out of the mud, keep him warm and reassure him that help was on the way.
  • After a few attempts to return, it was deemed far too risky, and the decision made to stay put until further assistance arrived.
  • if it was knee deep mud or we were able to paddle out to him in any way there would not have needed to be a rescue mission.
Original ReleaseELANDS BAY:Matthys Kog, NSRI Lamberts Bay station commander, said:At 12h49, Sunday, 21st January, NSRI Mykonos and NSRI Lamberts Bay duty crews were alerted by the SA Police Services to a father and son stuck in the mud of the Verloring Vlei on a farm near Elands Bay. NSRI Lamberts Bay dispatched a NSRI rescue vehicle.It appears that the 7 year old son rowed a canoe on a small patch of water on the drying out vlei and the canoe got stuck in mud and he climbed out of the canoe and then got stuck in knee deep mud.His Dad, 42, they are from Noordhoek, Cape Town, rowed a canoe out to his son to try to help but he also got stuck. They managed to shelter on one the canoes while calling for help.On NSRI's arrival on the scene the SA Police Services and WC Government Health EMS rescue squad were in attendance and the EMS/AMS Skymed helicopter had been activated.The father and son were winched out of the muddy vlei to dry land and reunited with family and no further assistance was required.The canoes could not be recovered. [video width='480' height='272' mp4='http://www.nsri.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/VID-20180121-WA0012.mp4'][/video]
Next Article

Dolphin rescued at Cape St Francis

Read More

You may also like

RESCUE OPERATIONS  | Published: 15 SEPTEMBER 2026

NSRI Stilbaai: Young Man Dies After Vehicle Enters Goukou River

NSRI Stilbaai – Duty crew responded early Tuesday morning after a vehicle went into the Goukou River near the river mouth, resulting in the death of a 21-year-old man who was holidaying in the area with family. ...

RESCUE OPERATIONS  | Published: 14 SEPTEMBER 2026

NSRI rescues stranded paddlers in gale-force conditions at Fish Hoek

For close to two hours, two experienced paddlers clung to their capsized surf-ski off Simon's Town, battling 40-knot winds and 2-metre swells with no way to call for help. On Saturday, 12 September, NSRI Simon's Town crew brought them home safely. ...

RESCUE OPERATIONS  | Published: 13 SEPTEMBER 2026

NSRI Simon's Town Rescues Two Hypothermic Paddlers After Near 2-Hour Ordeal in Gale-Force Conditions

On Saturday afternoon, NSRI Simon's Town launched a dramatic sea rescue after two experienced paddlers capsized in gale-force winds and rough seas off Fish Hoek, spending close to two hours battling exhaustion and hypothermia before being found. ...