Patient assisted in Jeffreys Bay, Port Elizabeth crew respond to false alarm with good intentions

On Monday, a patient was assisted in Jeffreys Bay while Port Elizabeth crew responded to a 'false alarm' with good intentions.

JEFFREYS BAY:

Michael van den Bergh, NSRI Station 37, Jeffreys Bay station commander, said:

At 14h30, Monday, 27 July, NSRI Jeffreys Bay medical crew were activated following reports received from Kouga Municipal Law Enforcement of a man injured on the beach at Piet se Gat near to our sea rescue base.

We dispatched our NSRI sea rescue vehicle and Private Care ambulance services were activated.

On arrival on the scene we found friends of a local 20 year old man had initiated efforts to support a fractured leg sustained by the man reportedly while playing soccer on the beach.

We commend his friends for doing an excellent job of keeping the fractured leg immobile until help arrived.

Our NSRI medics splinted the man's leg and our ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) was dispatched to the scene.

Private Care paramedics arrived on the scene and we used our ATV to get the man off the beach to the ambulance.

The man was transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition by Private Care ambulance.

PORT ELIZABETH:

Justin Erasmus, NSRI Station 6, Port Elizabeth station commander, said:

At 13h01, Monday, 27 July, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a surfer suspected to be missing and a surfboard believed to be afloat off-shore of Sardinia Beach but with no sign of the surfer.

The sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 4 was towed to the scene by our NSRI sea rescue vehicle and NSRI rescue swimmers, the EC Government Health EMS Aeromed 3 helicopter, an EMS ambulance and an EMS rescue vehicle and Coastal Water Rescue rescue swimmers were activated while an NSRI duty crew stood by at our sea rescue base to launch additional sea rescue craft if required.

On arrival on the scene the area was searched thoroughly but only debris washing around off-shore, believed to be caused from the recent rough sea conditions, was found and there were no reports of anyone missing or overdue.

While no surfboard was found debris located off-shore may have given the impression of being a surfboard.

All resources were released from the scene and the situation was monitored into Tuesday and we are confident that this was a false alarm with good intentions.

-ENDS-

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is the charity organisation that saves lives on South African waters – both coastal and inland. 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 receives no payment and neither do we charge the people we rescue.

We visit schools around the country, teaching children about water safety. Our 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.

You can do your bit to assist. Please visit www.nsri.org.za for more information.

SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774