NSRI are appealing to coastal bathers to only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards.NSRI are appealing to parents and caregivers to ensure that while their children are swimming they have responsible adult supervisors that are not distracted and are dedicated to supervising the children while they are in the water swimming.A shark warning remains in place at Oyster Bay, between Tsitsikamma and St Francis Bay, where a whale carcass washed up amongst rocks at Main Beach, Oyster Bay, on Thursday, 19th December, attracting sharks to the area.Kouga Municipality are arranging contractors to remove the carcass for disposal.Plettenberg Bay lifeguards assisted by NSRI Plettenberg Bay cleared bathers from the water at beaches in the Plettenberg Bay area after a 3 meter White shark was spotted approaching a bathing area on Tuesday morning, 24th December.Beaches were reopened following an all-clear notice and lifeguards remain vigilant.The SA Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for wind and waves - 26 December - affected coastal areas, up to 15 nautical miles, for coastal areas between Cape Columbine and Plettenberg Bay:Watches ('Be Prepared')Pre-frontal conditions are expected to cause windy conditions along the coastline of the Western Cape with a period of strong to gale force (56-75km/h) North-Westerly to Westerly winds expected. The wave heights will also start increasing reaching 4.5 to 5.5m alongside with Spring tide that is expected on Wednesday/Thursday which will result in high tides being higher than normal and low tides being lower than normal. This is a crucial period especially on the Day of Goodwill as people will be visiting coastal regions and engaging in marine activities.
NSRI are appealing to bathers, paddlers and boaters to heed the SA Weather Service alert and be cautious particularly in light of the peak of the New Moon Spring Tide, peaking 26th December, that will affect the coastline between today and gradually begin to dissipate between the Day of goodwill and New Years day, returning to normal tides by around New Years day.EAST LONDON:Geoff McGregor, NSRI East London station commander, said:At 04h45, Monday, 23rd December, NSRI East London duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Nahoon Beach.NSRI East London rescue swimmers, the SA Police Services, a Police Dive Unit, Police K-9 Search and Rescue and BCM (Buffalo City Municipality) lifeguards responded.On arrival on the scene a 23 year old woman, from Queenstown, was found washed onto the beach after being swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming and she has been declared deceased from a suspected fatal drowning.The body of the female has been taken into the care of the Government health Forensic Pathology Services.Police have opened an inquest docket.Condolences are conveyed to family of the deceased female.
OYSTER BAY:Johannes Lodewyk van Rensburg, NSRI Oyster Bay station commander, said:On Sunday, 22nd December, NSRI Oyster Bay were alerted to eye-witness reports of a double Kayak washed up on rocks at Oyster Bay Point.On investigation we found that 2 men had been paddling from St Francis Bay to Oyster Bay and they were 300 meters off-shore of Oyster Bay when they noticed a shark in the water.One man fell out of the double Kayak and then the second man fell out of the double Kayak.They both swam to shore without incident, abandoning their Kayak, and NSRI took the men to recover their Kayak, which was found barely damaged, on Monday.
TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE