Two calls for Ballito

BALLITO:Quentin Power, NSRI Ballito station commander, said:At 16h45, Tuesday, 30th October, NSRI Ballito duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Salmon Bay.Our rescue swimmers responded to the scene and on arrival we found a man, aged in his 40's, exhausted and exiting the water dragging his surf-ski behind him.Suffering minor scrapes and bruises he was checked by paramedics and he required no further assistance.He explained that on a downwind paddle from Umdloti to Ballito on approaching the backline at Ballito he was caught in a heavy wave set that threw him out of his surf-ski and the surf-ski nose dived into a sandbank.The wave set and strong currents tossed and tumbled him around in a washing machine style and he spilled out over rocks after his surf-ski rudder cable snapped.Fortunately he was wearing all of the correct safety gear and a PFD (Personal Flotation Device) that saved him from any serious injury.On Sunday, 28th October, NSRI Ballito duty crew and SRU (The Specialised Rescue Unit), while conducting routine training, we were requested by the KZN Marine Animal Stranding Network to intercept a whale carcass that was drifting off-shore of the Tongaat River Mouth and being washed towards Westbrook Main Beach.On arrival on the scene a towline was rigged to the whale carcass which was towed to deep water assisted by KZN Sharks Board Centre of Maritime Excellence and a public members ski-boat Wicked Tuna.The carcass tow was released deep sea but during the night the wind direction changed and the whale carcass washed ashore at Umhlanga.KZN Wildlife and eThekweni Municipality are arranging the solid waste removal of the carcass.