Incidents at Kalk Bay, Witbank Dam, Vaal Dam and Gqeberha:

Weekend incidents responded to by NSRI Simon's Town, Witbank Dam, Vaal Dam and Gqeberha

KALK BAY:

Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simon's Town station commander, said:

At 10h41, Sunday, 17 October, NSRI Simon's Town duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a local 12 meter fishing vessel, with 10 crew onboard, reporting steering failure and limited emergency steering capabilities 1 nautical mile off-shore of Kalk Bay Harbour.

The sea rescue craft Donna Nicholas was launched and NSRI Strandfontein were placed on alert.

On arrival on the scene we found the casualty crew safe and a towline was established.

We towed the vessel to Kalk Bay Harbour.

On arrival at the harbour we rafted the casualty vessel alongside our sea rescue craft and safely moored her at her berth in Kalk Bay Harbour without incident and no further assistance was required.

WITBANK:

Francois du Randt, NSRI Witbank deputy station commander, said:

At 13H37, Saturday, 16 October, while our NSRI crew were conducting routine training on Witbank Dam, we received eye-witness reports of a power boat appearing to be taking on water near to The View Lodge on Witbank Dam

The public member reported that they had assisted 3 adult males out of the water but the vessel appeared to be sinking and they required assistance.

Our NSRI crew was diverted from the training exercise and responded aboard our rescue craft Harveys Fibre Glass

On our arrival on the scene we found the casualty craft was already in the process of being taken ashore with the help of public members. NSRI assisted to get the craft recovered with the assistance of a private 4X4 vehicle.

Her 3 crew were not injured.

Once the craft was safely ashore the duty crew assessed the craft and found that the craft had sustained some damage to the hull that was causing water intake.

After water was drained from the craft the damage was temporarily patched and the craft was re-floated and assessed to see if the patch work would hold.

No further intake of water was observed and using our NSRI rescue craft we established a towline and we towed the casualty craft to the Golden Mile launch site where the casualty craft was returned to the owner and no further assistance was required

NSRI Witbank Dam commend the public members that assisted the casualty crew and craft.

VAAL DAM:

Jake Manten, NSRI Vaal Dam station commander, said:

At 16h34, Saturday, 16 October, NSRI Vaal Dam duty crew were activated by a concerned public member reporting a boat washing up on the shore line close to Mouse Hole at the Dam Wall in rough winds and waves.

Our duty crew launched our rescue craft Spirit of Round Table and on arrival on the scene we found 8 passengers, 4 adults and 4 children, from Roodepoort, were all accounted for and not injured.

It appears that in rough weather and strong winds, causing high waves, they had drifted ashore where on reaching the shoreline their craft was swamped.

Our NSRI crew transferred the casualties onto our rescue craft and returned them safely to their launch site .

In the adverse conditions a recovery operation was not immediately viable and arrangements were made for the salvage of the craft when conditions settled and the craft was successfully recovered on Sunday.

GQEBERHA:

Sean Lunnon, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said:

At 11h45, Thursday, 14 October, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were activated to prepare to patient evacuate an injured Russian crewman from a bulk oil tanker motor vessel at anchor off-shore of Coega.

The sea rescue craft JLT Rescuer was launched, accompanied by a EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic.

On arrival at the vessel an NSRI rescue swimmer was transferred onto the vessel and the patient, in a stable condition, was secured into a safety harness and using a safety line he was transferred onto our sea rescue craft.

In the care of the EMS rescue paramedic we brought the patient to our NSRI rescue base and he has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance for further medical care.

The operation completed at 15h00.

NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, WC Government Health EMS, EC Government Health EMS, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Transnet National Ports Authority, the Ports Health Authority and Police Sea Borderline Control assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in logistics and the coordination of this patient evacuation operation.