ST LUCIA:A boat has been assisted during a fishing competition.
Jan Hoffman, NSRI St Lucia station commander, said:At 15h30, Wednesday, 14 October, during a local fishing competition NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from an NSRI crewman, who was on the beach at St Lucia, reporting that one of the competition fishing boats had lost engine power to one of her motors and in rough seas in the shoreline break the fishing boat was threatening to run aground.Our Discovery Rescue Runner sea rescue craft was diverted from standing-by at the fishing competition while a fellow fishing boat attended at the scene and transferred the crew of the casualty boat onto the fellow fishing boat.On arrival on the scene we found the skipper remained onboard the casualty boat and all fishing gear was stowed while we escorted and advised the skipper through the surf line safely onto the beach with care taken to not capsize the casualty craft once beached.Our NSRI tractor was used to recover the casualty boat.Once the casualty boat was recovered onto her trailer and the remaining casualty crew were brought safely to shore aboard the fellow fishing boat no further assistance was required.The operation completed at 16h20. There were no injuries and there were no further incidents during the remainder of the fishing competition.The skipper and crew of the fellow fishing boat thst assisted on the scene is commended for their assistance in transferring crew in the rough sea conditions.
STRAND:Strand Surf Lifesaving lifeguards rescued a child from the surf.
Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay station commander, said: At 18h17, Wednesday, 14 October, NSRI Gordons Bay and the City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network were activated following reports from Strand Surf Lifesaving of a drowning in progress at Strand Beach.NSRI Gordons Bay rescue swimmers, GB Med ambulance services, ER24 ambulance services, the SA Police Services, CoCT Law Enforcement officers and WC Government Health EMS responded to join Strand Surf Lifesaving lifeguards who were on the scene.Gavin Pepler, senior lifeguard at Strand Surf Lifesaving, informed us that during routine lifeguard training at Strand Beach they were alerted to reports of a 10 year old male child in difficulty in the surf between the Strand Surf Lifesaving lifeguard station and The Pipe.Strand Surf Lifesaving lifeguards initiated a search and activated the emergency services.Senior lifeguard Craig Tilsley located the child unconscious in the surf and using a surf-ski he managed to get the child to his surf-ski where he was then assisted by lifeguard Steven Morbey on a Malibu rescue board.Together they rescued the child from the water.Assisted by public members the lifeguards initiated medical treatment and they brought the child to the Strand lifeguard station.The child was in a serious condition suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms and they were able to medically stabilise the child.Paramedics arriving on the scene assisted lifeguards with medical care and the local child was transported to hospital by GB Med ambulance in a serious but stable condition.The child is expected to make a full recovery.NSRI commend the swift reaction of the Strand Surf Lifesaving lifeguards and all involved are commended for their swift response.
ST FRANCIS BAY:Patient evacuation of an ill fisherman from a local Chokka fishing boat.
Neil Jones, NSRI St Francis Bay duty coxswain, said:At 05h51, Thursday, 15 October, NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a fisherman collapsed unconscious on a local Chokka fishing boat.Our duty crew responded to our sea rescue station and the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II was launched while Private Care ambulance services dispatched an ambulance to stand by at our base.We rendezvoused with the Chokka fishing vessel in 4 to 5 meter swells approximately 22 nautical miles West of St Francis Bay.On arrival on the scene the patient, age 36, from Jeffreys Bay, was found to be barely consciousness from a medical complaint and he was transferred onto our sea rescue craft.In the care of our NSRI medics the patient was brought to our sea rescue station and he has been transported to hospital by Private Care ambulance in a serious but stable condition.NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, EC Government Health EMS, NSRI St Francis Bay duty controllers, Transnet National Ports Authority and Port Health Authorities assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in communications, coordination and logistics during the operation.The operation completed at 08h41.
