Weather Safety Alerts:NSRI encourage boaters, paddlers, sailboarders, anglers, fisherman and coastal hikers to always check SA Weather Services weather alerts when preparing to go into and around the ocean.The approaching winter weather has seen a number of cold fronts over the past few weeks and a cold front is currently causing rough seas and strong winds from the Western Cape coastline all the way around the coastline to beyond Port Alfred.Caution is always advised during adverse weather conditions but preparations before you embark on coastal journeys should always include checking in on the SA Weather Services anticipated weather conditions and prepare accordingly with extra caution when adverse weather is expected.
PLETTENBERG BAY:Ross Badenhorst, NSRI Plettenberg Bay deputy station commander, said:At 21h49, Saturday, 15 May, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports intercepted from a security whatsapp group at Natures Valley of a fisherman who had arrived on foot at the security office reporting a small row boat that he was on that had capsized at Salt River Mouth and his 2 fellow fishermen that were on the boat with him were missing.The local adult fishermen had reportedly been pulled onto rocks by an unidentified angler after swimming ashore and he had walked to the ADT security office to raise the alarm, reporting that incident happened around 18h00.We launched our sea rescue craft Leonard Smith and Ray Farnham Rescuer while our sea rescue vehicle and NSRI crew private vehicles, with NSRI rescue swimmers, and the SA Police Services responded.A search commenced and after no sign of the casualty capsized boat or the 2 men were found Police took the survivor home where it was discovered that the 2 missing men had earlier managed to get to shore and they were safe at home.No further assistance was required and our sea rescue craft and NSRI crew returned to base.
NORTH COAST KZN:Quentin Power, NSRI Ballito station commander, said:On Saturday, 15 May, at approximately 14h40, one of our NSRI Ballito off duty crewman was at the beach at Salmon Bay where he noticed a group of swimmers, 2 men and 2 women, being swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming.He quickly grabbed the nearby NSRI pink rescue buoy and he ran along the beach preparing to enter the water.As he reached the waters edge he noticed that they were already almost at the backline and there was a ski-boat, Phezulu, approaching the beach towards the launch site.He motioned to the distressed swimmers to swim further out to sea while the duty controller of the Ballito Skiboat Club radioed Phezulu on the marine VHF radio to go to assist the swimmers.An unidentified bystander had also entered the water to attempt to assist the 4 swimmers in distress.The ski-boat then came towards the shore and in the breaker line the crew threw life life-jackets to the swimmers while one of the boat crew entered the water to assist the ladies who were struggling to stay afloat.The ski-boat turned back towards the backline and headed beyond the backline.The swimmers, including the Good Samaritan and the crewman of Phezulu, also then swam to beyond the back breakers.All of the 4 casualties, the Good Samaritan and the crewman of Phezulu, were rescued onto the ski-boat by the skipper and the crew and once safely onboard the ski-boat they were brought safely to shore.NSRI Ballito crew and IPSS Medical Rescue were responding to the scene.IPSS Medical Rescue arrived on the scene and their paramedics assessed the 4 casualties finding them to be not injured and no further assistance was required.NSRI commend the skipper and crew of the ski-boat Phezulu for their quick actions that saved the 4 swimmers and the quick thinking of our NSRI crewman and the Ballito Ski-boat Club duty controller as well as the swift response of IPSS Medical Rescue.The unidentified Good Samaritan who went to their aid is also commended for his contribution during the rescue efforts.On Sunday morning, 16 May, NSRI Ballito Duty crew launched at 05h30 to conduct training offshore at Salt Rock and also providing additional support to a group of swimmers who were swimming from Ballito to Salt Rock (a 5km swim) to raise funds for NSRI,At approximately 07h45 the crew on our sea rescue craft Freemasons Way were diverted to respond to reports of a kayaker experiencing difficulty offshore of Salmon Bay, Ballito.On arrival on the scene the kayaker had been taken onboard the private vessel ATM by her skipper Brandon Aspen.Our sea rescue craft came alongside ATM and our duty crew were assured that all was in order.The vessel ATM, from Dolphin Coast Adventures, then proceeded to beach safely with the casualty kayaker, a local man, and his kayak on board, and no further assistance was required.NSRI commend the skipper and crew of ATM for their assistance.Our sea rescue craft Freemasons Way was then diverted to Westbrook Beach after receiving reports of a diver missing in the water North of Westbrook Main Beach .Our sea rescue vehicle was also dispatched.On our sea rescue craft arriving at the backline it was established that the the diver had gotten into difficulty before disappearing under water.eThekwini Municipal Lifeguards, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), Netcare 911 ambulance services, IPSS Medical Rescue, the SA Police Services, Police Search and Rescue and Metro Police Search and Rescue were in attendance.The diver had been located and rescued from the water and Netcare 911 paramedics conducted extensive CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts but sadly after all efforts to save the man were exhausted he was declared deceased.Our Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased man.While NSRI Ballito were still offshore off Westbrook, at 08H32, our crew received another call for urgent assistance for a jest-ski reportedly taking on water and sinking with 2 people on board offshore of Seabell Restaurant near to Casuarina Beach.Both our sea rescue craft and our sea rescue vehicle responded.It was then confirmed that the incident was actually off-shore of Beach Bums.On arrival on the scene one of the jet-skiers was transferred over to our sea rescue craft while an NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed into the water to attempt to identify the reason for the jet-ski taking on water.After checking all external possibilities our rescue swimmer boarded the jet-ski where it was established that a loose hose connector was allowing water to fill the hull of the casualty jet-ski.The loose hose connector was secured and the skipper of the casualty jet-ski proceeded at slow speed to allow water to drain from the craft and after about 15 minutes, with the assistance of the craft self bilging system, the craft was freed of water and was able to safely proceed back to the Westbrook launch site with our sea rescue craft Freemasons Way accompanying them.Another local jet-ski, with a fisherman onboard, was about to beach at Westbrook at the same time.We made the decision to transfer the NSRI crew member from the casualty jet-ski onto the fisherman's jet-ski. and the fisherman obligedOur sea rescue craft then proceeded alongside the casualty jet-ski which beached under her own power.Our rescue swimmer was transferred from the fisherman's jet-ski onto our sea rescue craft, the fisherman was thanked for his assistance, and no further assistance was required at that scene.
KOEGEL BAY:Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay station commander, said:At 10h49, Wednesday, 19 May, NSRI Gordons Bay and NSRI Simon's Town duty crews were activated following a request for assistance from a local fishing boat, with 7 crew onboard, reporting to have their motor propellers fouled in fishing rope and their vessel was taking on water 4 nautical miles West of Koegel Bay.Our sea rescue craft Jack and Irene, accompanied by a water extrication pump, and the NSRI Simon's Town sea rescue craft Donna Nicholas were launched.Jack and Irene arrived on the scene and 2 NSRI rescue swimmers were put onboard the casualty vessel.It was determined that the vessels own water extrication pump and bilge pumps were pumping water out of the vessel sufficiently.They had managed to free themselves from fishing rope and on the arrival of the sea rescue craft Donna Nicholas a towline was established and the Donna Nicholas towed them to just off-shore of Gordons Bay harbour.A local yacht launched from Gordons Bay Harbour and they arrived at the casualty vessel just outside of the harbour where the towline was transferred from the sea rescue craft to the yacht and the yacht towed the casualty vessel into Gordons Bay Harbour without incident.Once the casualty vessel was moored no further assistance was required.NSRI Simon's Town's sea rescue craft returned to base.NSRI commend the swift response and the efforts and the cooperation of the casualty vessels crew and the yacht for her assistance.
JEFFREYS BAY:Kristo Kritzinger, NSRI Jeffreys Bay deputy station commander, said:At 15h37, Thursday, 20 May, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following reports from an NSRI Jeffreys Bay crewman, at Dolphin Beach, who was witnessing what looked like a person in distress in the surfline being swept out to sea.Our duty crew responded to our sea rescue base where rescue swimmers prepared to launch into the surf and the sea rescue craft Rescue 37 Charlie was launched.On arrival on the scene it was found that a large bush, that had probably been swept out to sea in strong, gusting to 35 knots, Westerly winds, was being swept out to sea and as it submerged and re-emerged in and out of the surfline it gave the impression of a person waving for help.We stood down as no assistance was required for this false alarm with good intentions.We commend our crewman for swiftly activating the duty crew and for hesitating in case this had been a person in distress.
