Long weekend callouts - NSRI Volunteers respond to four separate incidents

NSRI WATER SAFETY APPEAL:NSRI appeal to the bathers to only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards, in between the posted flags and only swim during the lifeguard beach stand-by times.NSRI are appealing to boaters and paddlers of craft launching to go to sea to download, from our web page www.searescue.org.za, and use the free cellphone app. NSRI RSA SafeTrx.NSRI are appealing to parents and care providers to ensure children have responsible safety supervision in and around water and when swimming.Caution is advised in and around inland waters, rivers, lakes and dams and swimming pools should have child proof covers and child proof surrounding fences.NSRI Volunteers from STATION 9 - Gordons Bay, STATION 32 - Port Edward, STATION 17 - Hermanus and STATION 18 - Melkbosstrand responded to four separate incidents on Friday 13th December and Saturday 14th December 2019. The incidents that occurred are as follows: STATION 9 - Gordon's Bay:Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordon's Bay station commander, said:At 14h31, Friday, 13th December, NSRI Gordon's Bay, GB Med Security ambulance services, WC Government Health EMS, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, ER24 ambulance services and the SA Police Services responded to Blue Rock Adventure Park, Somerset West, following reports of a drowning in progress in a quarry.On arrival on the scene, we found bystander CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts in progress on a 27-year-old local man who had reportedly disappeared under water before being located and recovered by a former NSRI volunteer who had happened to be on the scene at the time.Paramedics continued with CPR efforts but sadly despite extensive CPR efforts the man was declared deceased.The body of the man has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.On behalf of all services on the scene Condolences are conveyed to family, friends and colleagues of the deceased man.STATION 32 - Port Edward:Gert du Plessis, NSRI Port Edward station commander, said:At 17h32, Friday, 13th December, NSRI Port Edward duty crew, Emithonjaneni Lifesaving lifeguards, Ray Nkonyeni Fire and Rescue Services, the SA Police Services including Police Search and Rescue and Police K9 Search and Rescue, Hibiscus Traffic Services and Med-Evac ambulance services responded to 6 kilometers upstream of The Pont, on the Mtamvuna River, where an adult man was believed to be missing in the river.An extensive search, including an NSRI jet rib rescue craft and a lifeguard RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) rescue craft, conducting a water search, and also assisted by a private boat that conducted water search efforts, into the night, revealed no sign of a missing man.During Police investigations it was confirmed that a 58 year old local man, who was reportedly crossing the river during the herding of cattle, had been swept away by the river currents and was missing.On Saturday local Police, Police Search and Rescue and Police K9 Search and Rescue continued in an ongoing search operation and NSRI Port Edward and Emithonjaneni Lifesaving lifeguards launched rescue craft onto the river to assist Police in their search which is an ongoing search operation.Thoughts are with the family of the missing man in this difficult time.NSRI commend the crew of the private boat Performer who provided vital assistance in the search operation on Friday.STATION 17 - Hermanus:Deon Langenhoven, NSRI Hermanus station commander, said:At 08h19, Saturday, 14th December, NSRI Hermanus, Overberg Protection Services, the SA Police Services, Neighbourhood Watch and WC Government Health EMS responded to the slipway at Vermont, near to Hermanus, where a man free diving for Crayfish with family and friends was reported to be missing in the water off-shore of Vermont.On arrival on the scene it was found that a fellow diver had located and recovered the man, aged in his 50’s, from Somerset West, from under water and the man was brought to the slipway at Vermont where bystander CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts were commenced.Paramedics continued with extensive CPR efforts but sadly after all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted the man was declared deceased.The body of the man has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.On behalf of all services on the scene Condolences are conveyed to family, friends and colleagues of the deceased man.STATION 18 - Melkbosstrand:Peter O'Hanlan, NSRI Melkbosstrand station commander, said:At 10h21, Saturday, 14th December, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated to reports of a drowning in progress at Bloubergstrand Beach.A male teenager had reached the shoreline after appearing to be in difficulty in the surf and a Guest House owner had raised the alarm confirming that when he approached the teenager to offer assistance the teenager reported that his cousins, a 17 year old female and a 15 year old male, were still in the surfline and in difficulty.They are families from the Eastern Cape and the teenagers were reportedly swimming when they got into difficulty.NSRI Melkbosstrand launched sea rescue craft and NSRI rescue swimmers responded, Big Bay Surf Lifesaving lifeguards (CoCT - City of Cape Town lifeguards and Western Province lifeguards) launched a rescue craft and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, WC Government Health EMS, Community Medics, ER24 ambulance services, CoCT (City of Cape Town) Law Enforcement officers, the SA Police Services and Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and a Fire Dive Unit responded.On arrival on the scene paramedics attended to the survivor who required no further assistance following medical treatment and an air, sea and shoreline search, including NSRI rescue swimmers deployed into the surf to conduct coordinated sweeping line free dive search efforts, commenced for the boy and the girl missing in the surf.During the search, the female was located and recovered onto the lifeguards rescue craft and she was brought to shore where paramedics commenced with extensive CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts but sadly after all efforts to resuscitate the girl were exhausted she was declared deceased.The body of the girl has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.Despite an extensive search no sign of the boy has been found and he is missing.A Police Dive Unit were activated and they are continuing in ongoing search efforts and Police are investigating.On behalf of all emergency services on the scene Condolences are conveyed to family and friends of the deceased girl and thoughts are with the family of the missing boy in this difficult time.