Wednesday, 14 April.KNYSNA:Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said:At 18h26, Tuesday, 13 April, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following a request to assist a local man on a sea kayak on Knysna Lagoon, suspected to be near to Bollard Bay, Leisure Isle, after he was unable to navigate to the shore due to being engulfed in dense fog.While preparing to launch sea rescue craft an NSRI rescue vehicle was dispatched to Leisure Isle and using the red emergency flashing lights of the rescue vehicle we were able to guide the man to shore.He had been unable to see any lights through the dense fog and his last known location was thought to be in the vicinity of Bollard Bay.Although NSRI and his wife had cellphone contact with the man he had been unable to determine which way to head through the dense fog to reach the shoreline.Fortunately he was able to catch sight of the bright red emergency flashing lights of the sea rescue vehicle and he paddled towards the flashing lights and he came ashore.Once safely ashore he required no further assistance.NSRI are appealing to paddlers to download and use the smart cellphone NSRI RSA Safetrx app that can be downloaded from our web page at
www.nsri.org.za.
DURBAN:Clifford ireland, NSRI Durban duty coxswain, said:At 17h16 ,Tuesday, 13 April, NSRI Durban duty crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services were alerted by the Transnet National Ports Authority to prepare to patient evacuate an injured 50 year old Filipino sailor from a container motor vessel approaching Durban from deep-sea and expected to arrive off-shore of the Port of Durban in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 14 April.At 05h30, 14 April, NSRI Durban launched the sea rescue craft Alick Rennie accompanied by 2 Netcare 911 rescue paramedics.We rendezvoused with the motor vessel approximately 3 Nautical miles off-shore at first light.At 05h45 in relatively calm sea conditions an NSRI rescue swimmer and a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic were transferred from the Alick Rennie onto the motor vessel.The rescue paramedic assessed the casualty and confirmed that he was able to be brought down the ships pilot ladder.Our NSRI rescue swimmer rigged a safety line and the casualty was secured into a safety harness and a life jacket and he was safely transferred onto the Alick Rennie.After recovering the casualties personal belongings and recovering the 2 rescue crew the Alick Rennie returned to Port with the patient in the care of the 2 rescue paramedics and we came alongside our NSRI Durban sea rescue station at 06h25.The patient was transported to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance in a stable condition for further medical treatment.NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, NSRI Durban duty controllers, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, Netcare 911 ambulance services duty controllers, Transnet National Ports Authority and the Port Health Authorities assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre with logistics and coordination of this patient evacuation operation.
