STRUISBAAI:
Reinard Geldenhuys, NSRI Agulhas station commander, said:
At 08h00, Saturday, 27 March, 2 fishermen, 1 from Hout Bay and 1 from Noordhoek, were fishing on the Vlakbank, about 5 nautical miles East of Struisbaai when a surprise wave stood up and swept over them capsizing their 5 metre RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat).
They managed to reach their capsize bottle and they fired off 3 red distress flares.
The red distress flares were sighted from land by eye-witnesses and also sighted by the fishing chuckie (small open fishing boat), Bennie, that was fishing in the area at the time.
Eye-witnesses and the crew of Bennie raised the alarm alerting Sea Rescue and the crew of Bennie also went to the assistance of the capsized craft.
NSRI Agulhas duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Agulhas and rendezvoused with Bennie about four nautical miles off-shore.
The crew of Bennie had rescued both men onto their fishing boat
The 2 casualty men, aged 56 and 45, were transferred onto the sea rescue craft and they were brought to the NSRI Agulhas sea rescue base where they were medically assessed and they were not injured and no further assistance was required.
Later on Saturday afternoon during NSRI routine training exercises our crew conducted sweeping line search patterns which were run to try and find the casualty craft which was floating semi submerged below the water surface due to reportedly a ruptured pontoon.
The casualty craft could not be found and a navigational warning is being issued by Telkom Maritime Radio Services.
NSRI commend the crew of Bennie who assisted on the scene and the eye-witnessed who raised the alarm.
HANGBERG:
Schalk Boonzaaier, NSRI Kleinmond station commander, said:
At 18h12, Saturday, 27 March, NSRI Kleinmond were alerted to reports of a paraglider accident between Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay.
NSRI crew and an NSRI duty doctor responded and ARCC (Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre) were alerted.
WC Government Health EMS, Overstrand Fire and Rescue Services, WSAR (Wilderness Search and Rescue) and the SA Police Services were activated.
NSRI crew and the NSRI doctor arrived on the scene and traversed the barely accessible terrain to reach an adult male paraglider who sustained injuries from colliding with the ground.
Despite his injuries the paraglider, who we believe is from Cape Town, was in good spirits.
He was treated for his injuries and in a serious but stable condition he was secured to a Stokes basket stretcher and hiked down the mountain where EMS paramedics took over care of the patient and he was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance.
NSRI commend the swift response to the accident and the assistance of all services involved.
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