SEA RESCUE – Multiple incidents

NSRI Bakoven, NSRI Table Bay and NSRI Hout Bay duty crews were activated following eye-witness reports of a drowning in progress at Bantry Bay. In another incident NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a man missing in the water at Jan se Gat waterfall, on the Kabeljous River, Jeffreys Bay. Furthermore while NSRI Strandfontein duty crew were on stand-by at the NSRI Strandfontein sea rescue base, they observed 5 people getting into difficulty in rip currents in from of the rescue base. In addition NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) observed a female on the beach at strand Beach following a non-fatal drowning incident. Lastly, Port Elizabeth Port Control requested NSRI Gqeberha to assist in the medical evacuation of a crewman from a Bulk carrier that passing by Algoa Bay.

BANTRY BAY:

David Rosenberg, NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander, said:

City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network was activated.

3 Sea Rescue craft from NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Hout Bay responded, NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay rescue swimmers, CoCT lifeguards, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, CoCT Law Enforcement Law Enforcement officers, WC Government Health EMS, SA Police Services, Community Security Organisation Medics, Netcare 911 ambulance services responded.

It appears that a 35 year old male, believed to be a local, may have fallen into the water at Bantry Bay and he had then been swept into the middle of the Bay.

A CoCT lifeguard and 2 male bystander Good Samaritans launched into the water to assist.

One of the bystander had taken the NSRI pink rescue buoy, that is stationed at Saunders Rocks, and together the lifeguard, the surfer and the bystander, with the NSRI pink rescue buoy, were able to rescue the casualty to rocks along the shoreline and they hade pulled the casualty out of the water.

On rescue services arriving on the scene paramedics attended to the man on the rocks, treating him for non fatal drowning symptoms.

NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the water from the sea rescue craft and they swam an NSRI Croc (small floating craft) to shore carrying a Stokes basket stretcher which was used to carry the casualty from the rocks to the ambulance.

The man was transported to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance in a stable condition.

The swift response by all emergency services is commended and the lifeguard and the 2 bystander who rescued the man are commended for their efforts in saving the life of the man.

JEFFREYS BAY:

Kristo Kritzinger, NSRI Jeffreys Bay deputy station commander, said:

It appears that the man, believed to be aged in his mid twenties, from Port Elizabeth, had jumped from a cliff ledge, at Jan se Gat, and he may have struck his head on a rock before landing in the water.

Our NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue vehicle, EC Government Health EMS, Private Care ambulance services, Gardmed ambulance services, Jeffreys Bay Fire and Rescue Services and the SA Police Services responded.

A search commenced for the man who was missing in the water. Bystanders, a husband and wife, came across the man in the water and he was recovered from the water where paramedics commenced CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts.

After all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted sadly he was declared deceased.

The body of the man has been taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Police have opened an inquest docket.

Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased man.

STRANDFONTEIN:

Nicky Whitehead, NSRI Strandfontein deputy station commander, said;

Our NSRI rescue craft Rescue 16 Alpha was launched and NSRI rescue swimmers launched into the surf.

All 5 casualties were rescued and brought safely onto the beach.

The 3 females and 2 males were medically assessed.

A male and a female were treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms and all 5 casualties were released requiring no further assistance.

STRAND:

Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay station commander, said:

Strand lifeguards attended at the scene and they were joined by Cape Town Fire and Rescue services and by WC Government Health EMS rescue squad.

An adult female was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms and she required no further assistance.

At the same time GB Med ambulance services and ER24 ambulance services responded to Strand Surf Lifesaving Club where lifeguards had initiated CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts on an unidentified adult male following a drowning accident.

Advance Life Support was administered by paramedics and the patient was transported to hospital in a critical condition by ER24 ambulance.

Earlier, at 13h11, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of surfski and assisted a 5 meter craft with engine failure off-shore of Harbour Island with 5 local men onboard.

We requested the skipper to drop anchor and our arrival on the scene we took then under tow and towed them into Harbour Island without incident.

We assisted them to recover their craft onto her trailer and no further assistance was required.

GQEBERHA:

Michael Wilson, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty coxswain, said:

Our duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft, shortly after 07h00, accompanied by with an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic, and we rendezvoused with the vessel approximately 1 nautical mile from Port

The adult male casualty, suffering a medical condition, was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and brought into Port and he was transported to hospital in a stable condition by EMS ambulance

The operation was completed at 07h50.

Then at 09h00 we received a request for assistance from the skipper of a fishing vessel, South of Algoa Bay, requesting medical assistance for a crewman suffering a medical condition.

Spirt of Toft and Rescue 6 Alpha were launched, accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue swimmer and we rendezvoused with the fishing vessel off the Noordhoek coastal area.

An NSRI rescue swimmer and the EMS rescue paramedic were transferred onto the fishing vessel and transferred the adult male patient onto our sea rescue craft, secured into a Stokes basket stretcher.

The man was brought into Port aboard our sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft and he was transported to hospital in a stable condition by EMS ambulance

The operation was completed at 11h45.