PLETTENBERG BAY:Monica Taylor, NSRI Plettenberg Bay trainee coxswain, said:At 09h40, Sunday, 11 April, NSRI Plettenberg Bay crew, while at sea conducting routine training exercises, were alerted to eye-witnesses reporting a surf-skier in difficulty in the Keurbooms River Mouth.Our jet rib sea rescue craft, Rescue 14 Bravo, was diverted to respond to the scene.On arrival on the scene we found a 70 year old local man caught in a rip current in the Keurbooms River Mouth.His surfski had washed ashore and was recovered on the beach by bystanders.We rescued the man onto our sea rescue craft and brought him to shore where he was reunited with his wife and he was not injured and he required no further assistance.We believe that he was paddling in the Keurbooms River, near to the river mouth, during an outgoing tide when it appears that he was caught in the outgoing tide before capsizing in the mouth of the river.Wearing a life-jacket he was swept out to sea through the river mouth while his surfski washed ashore. He was in the process of swimming towards the shore when he was taken onboard our sea rescue craft and we took him safely to shore.NSRI commend the eye-witnesses who raised the alarm.VELDRIFT:Cedric Brown, NSRI Mykonos deputy station commander, said:At 16h48, Saturday, 10 April, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Veldrift River Mouth.The sea rescue craft Spirit of Rotary East London was towed to the scene by our sea rescue vehicle and the SA Police Services responded.On arrival on the scene our sea rescue craft was launched at Laaiplek.Updated information suggested a suspected windsurfer was seen being swept off-shore.A search was initiated and further information indicated that eye-witnesses had seen what they thought to be a windsurfer far off-shore.A slight and gentle off-shore wind was blowing and we searched parallel search grid patterns along the coastline heading further out to sea but no sign of a windsurfer could be found and there were no reports of any persons missing or overdue.MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) were alerted by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) and Telkom Maritime Radio Services posted an all ships alert for vessels in the vicinity to keep a look-out.New information was received that a sail, appearing to be from that of a windsurfer, could be seen far off-shore of Dwarskersbos by an eye-witness using a telescope and NSRI Lamberts Bay duty crew were alerted.This new sighting information was well North of the original sightings and we admit that it started to look like this was in fact a yacht heading North.Veldrift Yacht Club suggested that this might be one of three yachts that had launched earlier for a sunset cruise.With no reports of anyone overdue or missing the search and rescue operation was suspended at around 20h30.As a precaution we monitored through the night and after a picture surfaced showing the colors of one of the 3 yachts jib sails it is highly probable that what eye witnesses were seeing was the jib sail of one of the 3 yachts that were on a sunset cruise indicating a false alarm with good intentions.On Sunday morning NSRI Mykonos, NSRI Lamberts Bay and Veldrift Police concurred with confidence that this was a false alarm with good intentions.
MAASBAAI:Schalk Boonzaaier, NSRI Kleinmond station commander, said:At 13h09, Saturday, 10 April, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a small rubber duck capsized at Maasbaai with 3 people onboard.NSRI Kleinmond were on the water at the time investigating reports of an unmanned small craft adrift 15 nautical miles off-shore of Hangklip and they diverted to respond to Maasbaai.The NSRI Gordons Bay sea rescue vehicle, the NSRI Kleinmond sea rescue vehicle, the SA Police Services and WC Government Health EMS responded.The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter was placed on alert.CMC (Critical Medical Care), from Hermanus, had also been activated by Netcare 911 duty controllers to respond to the scene.On arrival on the scene we found a man, his wife and his child had been assisted to shore by 2 unidentified divers who were diving in the vicinity at the time and their small boat had been towed to shore by a locals on a private boat that had gone to their assistance after their small boat capsized close off-shore of Maasbaai.We spoke to the family on the scene and they were not injured and they required no further assistance.We commend the 2 divers and crew of the local private boat who assisted the family.
GQEBERHA:Justin Erasmus, NSRI Gqeberha station commander, said:At 15h30, Saturday, 10 April, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were activated to prepare to carry out a patient evacuation operation of a 51 year old Filipino, suffering a medical complaint, from a motor vessel chemical tanker at anchorage in Algoa Bay.The sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft was launched, accompanied by EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics, and we rendezvoused with the motor vessel at her anchorage.The patient was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and into the care of the EMS rescue paramedics.
The patient was brought to our sea rescue station and he was transported to hospital by EC Government Health EMS ambulance in a stable condition for further medical care.NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty controllers, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, Transnet National Ports Authority and Port Health Authorities assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre with logistics and coordination of this patient evacuation operation.Earlier on Saturday, 10 April, at 08h30, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew, in our NSRI sea rescue vehicle, and an EC Government Health EMS rescue squad responded to a barely accessible stretch of beach near to Van Stadens River Mouth to assist a local adult fisherman who had been stung on his foot by a Barbel fish while angling from the shoreline.On arrival on the scene the fisherman was stabilised and in good spirits he transported off the beach in our sea rescue vehicle.He was then medically treated by EMS rescue paramedics and he then went by private transport to a local doctor for further treatment.UMKOMAAS:Nicky Gibson, NSRI Rocky Bay duty coxswain, said:At 13h35, Friday, 9 April, NSRI Rocky Bay duty crew were alerted by eyewitnesses to a jet-skier reported to be in difficulty off-shore of the Umkomaas River Mouth.On arrival at Umkomaas River Mouth no sign of the jet-skier could be found and it was then confirmed that he had managed to get to shore onto the beach at Woodenham Bridge, Umkomaas.He sustained only a small laceration to his calf after he had capsized at the backline while trawling for bait.He had swum ashore and his jet-ski had washed ashore.Eye-witnesses raised the alarm when they noticed him coming ashore through the surfline.Bystanders and NSRI crew, using my own dive charter cruiser, assisted the man, aged 69, from Hillcrest, to recover his jet-ski and he was treated for his laceration.He was taken into our care until family arrived to fetch him.We commend the 3 local bystanders who assisted on the beach.
