MOSSEL BAY:Andre Fraser, , NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said:At 15h26, Wednesday, 19 August, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following eye-witness reports of a small sailing yacht broken from her mooring off-shore of Santos Beach.Our duty crew responded to our NSRI Mossel Bay sea rescue base and the sea rescue craft St Blaize Rescuer was launched.On arrival at the yacht we rigged a towline and we took the unmanned yacht under tow and she was towed to the Vincent Jetty in Mossel Bay harbour without incident.The yacht's owner will arrange for the yacht to be moored at her moorings off-shore of Santos Beach on Thursday.
MUIZENBERG:Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown station commander, said:At 16h21, Wednesday, 19 August, NSRI Simonstown duty crew were alerted following reports to NSRI Strandfontein duty controllers of a surfer appearing to be in difficulty off-shore of Baileys Cottage, Muizenberg.Shark spotters had monitored a number of surfers and paddlers caught in strong rip currents while surfing at surfers corner, Muizenberg, during the day.While the surfers and paddlers had managed to negotiate the strong rip currents and all were safe a surfer swept further out to sea, at least a kilometer, appeared to be unable to free himself from a rip current.An eye-witness, a well known local sailor, volunteered to keep a watch on the surfer from an elevated height along the shoreline while NSRI were responding and we commend the eye-witness for her accurate feedback.Our duty crew responded to our sea rescue station in Simonstown and the sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 2 was launched and our NSRI sea rescue vehicle responded.NSRI Strandfontein duty crew were placed on alert.On arrival on the scene the surfer, a local male, was located off-shore between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay and he was rescued onto our sea rescue craft and he was brought to shore at Kalk Bay harbour and our NSRI crew in our sea rescue vehicle met up with our sea rescue craft in Kalk Bay harbour.Although a bit tired from his efforts to try get to shore he required no medical assistance and NSRI gave him a lift back to Muizenberg in our sea rescue vehicle.Strong rip currents and rough seas, brought on by recent cold fronts, contributed to a number of surfers being swept by strong rip currents towards Kalk Bay from surfers corner, Muizenberg, during Wednesday.NSRI and City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Marine Unit are appealing to bathers, paddlers and surfers along the False Bay coastline, particularly at surfers corner, Muizenberg, and between Macassar and Simonstown, to be cautious of strong rip currents prevailing in that area.
