PLETTENBERG BAY:Marc Rodgers, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said:At 12h22, Saturday, 8 August, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from hikers reporting a 55 year old male suffering an injured ankle at Robberg Point, Robberg Nature Reserve.Fellow hikers had reportedly tried to assist the man by carrying but they were unable to continue.Our sea rescue craft Leonard Smith was launched and Cape Nature officers were placed on alert.On our sea rescue craft arriving at Robberg Nature Reserve our NSRI crew went ashore and the man was loaded onto a stretcher and transferred from the beach onto our sea rescue craft.He remained in a stable condition and family members were contacted to meet at our NSRI sea rescue base in Plettenberg Bay.We brought the man to our NSRI sea rescue station and family members took him to hospital for X-Rays.
CAPE VIDAL and RICHARDS BAY:Jacques Kruger, NSRI Richards Bay duty coxswain, said:At 03h15, Sunday, 9 August, NSRI Richards Bay and NSRI St Lucia were placed on alert following reports from a friend of an NSRI crew lady, the wife of a local solo sailor, reporting her husband adrift with engine failure on a 45 foot Motor Catamaran.The solo sailor had reportedly sailed from Mozambique heading to Richards Bay and he was delayed during the Covid 19 lockdown.In big sea conditions off-shore of Cape Vidal with strong winds he was reportedly attempting to hold position on only one of two outboard motors but his vessel was gradually drifting towards shore.NSRI monitored the drift of the casualty vessel and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), Transnet National Ports Authority and Telkom Maritime Radio Services were alerted.South of Cape Vidal, after he reached approximately 5 nautical miles off-shore, as a precaution NSRI St Lucia launched the sea rescue craft Wild Coast Rescuer and rendezvoused with the casualty vessel finding the solo sailor to be in no immediate danger but NSRI St Lucia sea rescue craft remained with him.NSRI rescue swimmers were put onboard the motor Catamaran to try to fix the one outboard motor but were unable to get that one motor started.He was able to continue making slow progress towards Richards Bay on one of his outboard motors.NSRI St Lucia escorted the casualty motor vessel closer to Richards Bay before withdrawing and heading back to the NSRI St Lucia sea rescue base after the casualty vessel was able to continue making good headway on one motor.NSRI Richards Bay launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Richards Bay and met up with the casualty boat as she entered the Port of Richards Bay and we rafted our sea rescue craft alongside and assisted the casualty vessel to a mooring at Zululand Yacht Club without incident.The operation was completed at 12h30 on Sunday.
