Boat capsizes - Vaal Dam

At 14h30, Sunday, 4 September, our NSRI Vaal Dam received a call from Free State SA Police Services Waterwing reporting a pleasure craft capsized, with multiple occupants on board, close to Oranjeville’s steel bridge.

Our NSRI Vaal Dam duty crew were activated and the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Round Table was launched.

On arrival on the scene, the casualty craft was located. Bystanders on the shore confirmed that 12 people had been onboard and after the boat capsized in a wave they had all managed to swim to the shore.

The 12 people that had swum ashore were males, young adults and reportedly only one was injured.

It was reported that the owner of the pleasure craft had transported 1 of the 12 crew to hospital as he was reportedly suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms.

Our NSRI crew established a tow line to the submerged casualty craft which they were able to recover, drain her of water, and we towed the craft to the owner's property which is further downstream.

Once at their moorings the casualty vessel was handed over to friends of the owner and no further assistance was required.