STATION 3 - Table Bay: Marc de Vos, NSRI Table Bay station commander, said:At 13h01, Monday, 16th December, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were activated to assist a Solid Pontoon RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) near to the breakwater experiencing steering failure.The sea rescue craft Spirit of Day was launched and on arrival on the scene the casualty craft was taken under tow and towed to Granger Bay Marina without incident and once safely moored no further assistance was required.At 18h16, Monday, 16th December, NSRI Table Bay duty crew and WC Government Health EMS were placed on alert to prepare to patient evacuate a 24 year old Filipino crewman suffering a medical emergency onboard a bulk carrier approaching Cape Town and expected arrival in the early hours of Tuesday morning.At 20h16, Monday, 16th December, NSRI Bay duty crew were activated to assist a yacht, with 8 crew onboard from The Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, reporting battery failure and requiring a tow to her moorings at The Water Club.The sea rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom was launched and on arrival on the scene the casualty yacht was taken under tow and towed to The Water Club Marina without incident and once safely moored no further assistance was required.At 02h16, Tuesday, 17th December, the sea rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom was launched accompanied by an EMS rescue paramedic and rendezvoused with the approaching bulk carrier 7 nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Table bay.2 NSRI rescue swimmers and the EMS rescue paramedic boarded the ship and took over care of the patient from the ships medics.The patient was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and brought to shore, in the care of the EMS rescue paramedic and in a stable condition, without incident.A Netcare 911 ambulance was summoned and the patient has been transported to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance in a stable condition.
STATION 14 - Plettenberg Bay: Marc Rodgers, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said:At 10h13, Wednesday, 18th December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a spear fisherman engaged in a shark encounter at Natures Valley.The eye-witness was confident that a shark had taken the spear fisherman and only his fishing floatation buoy remained on the sea surface about 200 meters off-shore of rocks at Salt River but there was no sign of the spear fisherman.The sea rescue craft Leonard Smith Rescuer was launched when the eye-witness noticed a fisherman on the shore in a wet-suit but uncertain if that was the same spear fisherman.On arrival on the scene a flotation buoy was recovered with only a head of a Mussel Cracker fish attached.Theodore Prinsloo, from Wellington, who on holiday with his family, contacted NSRI after seeing the NSRI rescue craft arriving in the area, and confirmed that he was the spear fisherman involved in a shark encounter while spear-fishing, and he was safe out of the water with no injuries.Theodore explains that he spear fished yesterday when according to fishermen that approached him they told him that an approximately 5 meter White shark lingered in the vicinity where he was fishing but Theodore had exited the water without incident.Today (Wednesday 18th December 2019), he suspects that the same shark lingered in the vicinity where he was spear fishing, at one point swimming up close to him, he kept close to the rocks, and about 20 minutes after catching an approximately 8 to 9 kilogram Mussel Cracker that he hooked to a floatation buoy attached to his spear gun the shark grabbed the fish and made off out to sea dragging the buoy, and Theodore, with it.Theodore was able to release the flotation buoy after being dragged for a distance of about 50 meters towards deep sea and he quickly swum ashore.We recovered the buoy, line and the fish head onto our sea rescue craft and Theodore and his family came to fetch the buoy and line at our sea rescue base, Theodore saying that he needs the buoy to go spear fishing tomorrow and grateful that NSRI recovered his buoy.The NSRI encourages bathers, divers and spear fishermen to be cautious of the dangers of the sea when swimming and diving.
STATION 16 - Strandfontein:
Vaughn Seconds, NSRI Strandfontein station commander, said:On Sunday,15th December, at 18h45, NSRI Strandfontein, WC Government Health EMS ambulance and the rescue squad, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and the SA Police Services responded to Monwabisi where a local adult male had fallen off the outer tidal pool wall on the sea side of the tidal pool, in a rising tide, sustaining injuries and reported to be unconscious.On arrival on the scene, the family were found assisting the man who was trapped, injured and semi conscious in amongst rocks in a rising tide, injured and semi conscious.The patient was secured onto a stretcher, was removed from danger and has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition.
STRANDFONTEIN:On Monday, 16th December, at 12h42, NSRI Strandfontein duty crew were alerted by CoCT (City of Cape Town) lifeguards who had launched into the surf in front of our NSRI Strandfontein rescue station to assist 4 persons in difficulty caught in rip currents in the surf.NSRI launched a jet-ski accompanied by a senior CoCT lifeguard while Strandfontein Surf lifeguards and CoCT lifeguards had already responded and entered the water.2 men in difficulty in the surf managed to get out of the surf safely without assistance and the NSRI and lifeguards assisted 2 men from the water. There were no reported injuries.The NSRI commends the swift response of Strandfontein lifeguards and the CoCT lifeguards.
