NSRI SAFETY ALERT:NSRI are appealing to the public to be safe over this coming weekend and in the week leading up to the New Year.We appeal to bathers to only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards and swim in between the lifeguards safe swimming zone flags posted by the lifeguards on the beach.Lifeguards regularly move their flags when rip currents form and we are appealing to the public to obey the lifeguards instructions to only swim in between their flags.Families visiting the beach should approach the lifeguards if they are separated from family members or if they need assistance.Boaters, paddlers and sail boarders are urged to wear properly fitting and fastened life-jackets while your craft is underway.Download and use the NSRI RSA SafeTrx cellphone app and have safety equipment and and emergency plan in place.We are appealing to parents to make sure that there is a designated responsible person watching over children in and around water, at coastal and inland waters and at swimming pools.Fishermen, coastline rock anglers and hikers are urged to take heed of the increasing tides as we move closer to this months full moon Spring tide that peaks on 30 December and be cautious around the coastline.For NSRI safety tips around water go to our web page at www.nsri.org.za.
ST LUCIA:Jan Hoffman, NSRI St Lucia station commander, said:At 05h56, Wednesday, 23 December, NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated following reports from a local fisherman of a RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) capsized in the surfline off-shore of Mapelane.NSRI St Lucia rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene where on arrival on the scene a local fishing boat, Robert E Lee, took NSRI rescue swimmer Clyde Coetser onboard their boat and they launched into the surfline and Clyde was taken to where the casualty family, 2 males and 2 females, were in the surf.Clyde deployed into the surf and he assisted the family to shore, assisted by the crew of Robert E Lee, and there were additional fishermen who assisted on the shoreline.The family of 4 were brought safely onto the beach and one person was found to have sustained a back injury and the remaining family members suffered minor injuries but they did not require hospitalisation.The capsized boat that was damaged was recovered by NSRI crew who were assisted by the fishermen and the casualty boat was loaded onto their trailor and no further assistance was required.NSRI commend the fishermen who assisted on the scene.
KENTON-ON-SEA:Kerryn van der Walt, NSRI Port Alfred duty coxswain, said:At 08h25, Wednesday, 23 December, NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from 4 crew, 2 adults and 2 children, on a ski-boat reporting battery failure off-shore of Kenton-on-Sea.We launched our sea rescue craft Lotto Challenger and on arrival on the scene we found them safe and we assisted to jump start their battery and re-start their motor.We escorted them back to the beach without incident and once safely ashore they required no further assistance and we returned to base.
LANGABAAN:Mike Shaw, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said:At 09h30, Thursday, 24 December, NSRI Mykonos duty crew, accompanied by our NSRI CEO Dr. Cleeve Robertson, launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 5 and rendezvoused at Malgas Island to collect an injured Cape Gannet bird from the Island.Sadly the remains of a dead Cape Gannet were also collected.SANCOBB (SA Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) had requested on Wednesday NSRI’s assistance to collect the birds from Malgas Island from conservation officers on the Island.The injured bird and the remains of the dead bird were collected from Conservation officers on the Island and they were brought to our NSRI rescue station at Mykonos aboard our sea rescue craft and they were collected by SANCCOB members.The injured bird will be cared for by SANCCOB for rehabilitation.Then at 11h17, our sea rescue craft, Spirit of Surfski 5, responded to Shark Bay following a request for assistance from 2 men, aged 30 and 40, from Langebaan, reporting engine failure on their 4.5 meter RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat).They were found safe and we towed them to shore without incident and they required no further assistance.
STILBAAI:Jean du Plessis, NSRI Stilbaai station commander, said:On Thursday, 24 December, NSRI Stilbaai duty crew responded to 2 incidents in the vicinity of the Gouka Estuary Mouth.In the first incident public members had assisted a surfer who suffered a serious laceration to his leg after the surf board fin laceration his calf.Our NSRI medics treated the surfer on the beach and he was stabilised and transported to hospital by a private vehicle that was escorted by our sea rescue vehicle.We were then activated to assist at the Gouka Estuary Mouth where a Pretoria man, aged 30, and his 2 sons aged 3 and 6, were caught in rip currents.A local man, Laboux Loubser, on a pencil rubber-duck, rescued the 3 year old from the water and brought the child to the harbour safely where NSRI crew took over care of the child.Public members managed to rescue the father and the 6 year old from the water and on NSRI’s arrival on the scene they were both safe on the beach and suffering from hypothermia.The father and the 6 year old were reunited with the 3 year old.WC Government Health EMS attended to the family and they were treated for hypothermia and they were released requiring no further assistance.NSRI commend the public members and Mr. Loubser who assisted the father and his 2 children and the public members who assisted the surfer.
PLETTENBERG BAY:Marc Rodgers, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said:At 08h53, Friday, 25 December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated to respond to Wreck Beach where a surfer dislocated his shoulder while surfing.Public members were on the scene assisting the surfer.While responding to that call our NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were alerted to a child being swept out to sea at the Keurbooms Lagoon Mouth.A child on a tube was being swept out of the Lagoon Mouth.NSRI Plettenberg Bay rescue swimmer Dan Meiring, staying at the Plettenberg Bay Caravan Park, used his Malibu rescue board to paddle out to the child and he rescued the child to the shore and no further assistance was required.At Wreck Beach our NSRI medics treated a 19 year old local male surfer for a dislocated shoulder.He was transported to hospital in our NSRI rescue vehicle in a stable condition and doctors are attending to him at the hospital and we expect him to make a full recovery.We commend Dan for his quick reaction rescuing the child and we commend the public members who assisted the surfer at Wreck Beach.
