STRAND:Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay station commander, said:At 18h00, Saturday, 21st July, NSRI Gordon's Bay duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a boat off-shore of Macassar reporting motor mechanical failure.While preparing to launch sea rescue craft to respond the boat skipper reported that he had managed to get the motor working and he and his crew were safe and they were heading towards Harbour Island.Our NSRI crew remained on alert and ready to launch at our sea rescue base in Gordons Bay while we monitored the casualty boat making progress from observation posts in Strand and once they were safely in the harbour our NSRI crew stood down as no further assistance was required.KOMMETJIE:Ian Klopper, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said:At 16h22, Sunday, 22nd July, NSRI Kommetjie crew responded to a residence in Kommetjie following reports of a house fire.Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and CMR (Cape Medical Response) were activated.On arrival on the scene we found that a gas bottle had exploded in a residence and only an adult male was slightly injured and he was treated by NSRI medics and handed into the care of CMR medics on their arrival.The gas bottle explosion did not cause a fire.Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services made the scene safe and investigations into the cause of the gas bottle exploding will be undertaken by Fire Authorities.CAMPS BAY:Luke van Riet, NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander, said:At 17h15, Sunday, 22nd July, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were activated following reports from the City of Cape Town of a suspected dolphin on the rocks and stranded in shallow surf next to Camps Bay tidal pool.The City of Cape Town Marine Animal Stranding Network had been activated and NSRI Bakoven crew arriving on the scene found the animal to be a Gray's Beaked Whale stranded in shallow surf in amongst rocks.With low tide an hour away our NSRI crew loaded the whale onto our body stretcher and kept the whale in the water pending the arrival of a Veterinary Surgeon who had been activated to assess the health of the animal.Considerations were made to swim the whale out to sea using the body stretcher if it was deemed to be healthy enough and additional NSRI Bakoven rescue swimmers in wet suits were summoned to the scene.Sadly the whale was determined by the Vet and by Marine Authorities to be in an advanced deteriorating state of health and authorities and the Vet humanely euthanised the whale and Solid Waste Management are making arrangements to remove the carcass.Samples were taken for study by the Department of Environmental Affairs - Oceans and Coasts.JEFFREYS BAY:Ernie Schmidt, NSRI Jeffreys Bay deputy station commander, said:At 18h30, Sunday, 22nd July, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a suspected paddler appearing to be in difficulty on a sea kayak off-shore of Supertubes.At first eye-witnesses were unsure of the object floating out at sea in fading light but on closer inspection it was determined to be a paddler.While preparing to launch sea rescue craft the paddler came ashore safely without incident and we found that he was just out on an evening paddle and the local adult male paddler required no assistance.
