PORT ALFRED:Gerrit Cloete, NSRI Port Alfred duty coxswain, said:At 12h04, Saturday, 31st October, NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following reports of a 7 meter pontoon boat on fire in the Kowie River Mouth.The sea rescue craft Lotto challenger was launched and on arrival on the scene the skipper of the boat had managed to extinguish an electrical fire onboard the boat and all 6 persons onboard, 4 adults and 2 children, were safe.We towed them to the Marina where the casualty boat was moored and no further assistance was requiredThen at 15h03, our NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were alerted to a drowning in progress at Kelly’s Beach where a foreign man, believed to be from the Far East, aged in his 20’s and who is in Port Alfred attending 43 Air School pilot training, was swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming with friends.The sea rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha was launched and our NSRI rescue vehicle, Gardmed Ambulance Services and Atlas Security responded to the scene.2 NSRI volunteers who were nearby to the scene at the time also responded.A local surfer, Jared Gordon, who saw the incident unfolding while he was surfing nearby, paddled over to the man to help him.Two local 12 year old males, Reece Coetzer and Will Beatt, were about to leave the beach with family, when they were alerted by a bystander, and they grabbed their surfboards into the water to go help.Between the 3 surfers they managed to get the man safely to shore where he was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms and transported off the beach in our sea rescue vehicle and he was transported to hospital in a serious condition in a Gardmed ambulance.Later NSRI learned that the man is recovering well in hospital.NSRI commend the surfers who between them contributed to saving the casualties life.-ENDS-
