Ian Klopper, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said:At 09h52, Monday, 08 June, NSRI Kommetjie duty crew were activated following a report from NSRI Mossel Bay of paddlers in difficulty and requiring urgent assistance off-shore of Slangkop lighthouse, Kommetjie.One of the paddlers had sea rescue Mossel Bay's contact details and he had called NSRI Mossel Bay to raise the alarm.The sea rescue craft Spirit of the Vines was launched, NSRI rescue swimmers and our sea rescue vehicle were dispatched directly to the scene and a City of Cape Town (CoCT) joint drowning in progress emergency services reaction was alerted.CMR (Cape Medical Response) activated to assist.The report suggested that 3 men, from Pinelands, on sea-kayaks, were paddling between Crayfish Factory and Kommetjie when one man, age 39, reportedly capsized and was having difficulty getting back onto his sea-kayak and his 2 friends, aged 63 and 64, on their sea-kayaks, were attempting to assist him.While responding to the scene the casualties reported that the man had managed to get back onto his sea-kayak but the sea-kayak was waterlogged and not maintaining proper floatation and the casualty was exhausted and hypothermic.Our sea rescue craft arrived on the scene and the casualty was rescued onto our sea rescue craft and his sea-kayak was recovered and we brought him to shore where NSRI medics and CMR paramedics treated the man for exhaustion and hypothermia and following rewarming treatment he was released requiring no further further medical care.Our sea rescue craft was relaunched and rendezvoused with the remaining 2 paddlers off-shore and they were taken onboard our sea rescue craft with their sea-kayaks and they were brought to shore without incident.NSRI are appealing to paddlers, sail boarders and boaters - before launching to go to sea it is critical to your safety to download to your cell phone and make use of the NSRI RSA SafeTrx free cell phone app. NSRI Emergency Operations Centre and Maritime authorities monitor NSRI RSA Safetrx.Bathers, boaters, paddlers and sailboarders are urged to have NSRI emergency numbers programmed into their phones.The NSRI emergency number is 0870949774 or call 112 from a cellphone. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is the charity that saves lives on South African waters. Our goal is to prevent drowning through rescue operations, education and prevention initiatives.Operating from base stations along the SA coastline, and on inland dams, our rescue volunteers are on call, at all hours, every day of the year. Our rescue crew receive no payment and neither do we charge the people we rescue. We visit schools around the country teaching children about water safety. Drowning prevention measures include our online training academy, with free courses for crew and the public, emergency signage, Pink Rescue Buoys for emergency flotation, rescue swimmers, lifeguards and active patrols during peak seasons.Our organisation is totally reliant on donations and sponsorships. This enables us to do the work of saving lives, changing lives and creating futures.
SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774
