In Strand: NSRI Gordon's Bay responds to kite surfer in difficulty and two lives saved when a boat capsizes. Also at Shelly Beach: a local dive charter boat with steering mechanical failure assisted. Additionally, at Clifton: NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay responded to a drowning in progress. Furthermore in Hermanus: successful rescues at dangerous estuary mouth breach at the Klein River Lagoon. Lastly, in Durban: Vasco Da Gama Ocean race 23 - yacht Anna Wardley assisted.
STRAND:
Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordon's Bay station commander, said:
NSRI GORDON'S BAY RESPONDS TO KITE SURFER IN DIFFICULTY and 2 LIVES SAVED WHEN A BOAT CAPSIZES:
NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated at 17h50 on Saturday, 29 April, following reports of a kite surfer appearing to be in difficulty off shore of Topaz flats in the Stand.
Eye-witnesses had called the NSRI Gordons Bay emergency phone and the City of Cape Town (CoCT) 107 (0214807700) emergency number.
NSRI Gordon's Bay rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene, while our duty crew prepared to launch the NSRI rescue craft Zelda from the NSRI Gordons Bay satellite station container at Strand Beach.
Western Cape Government Health EMS rescue squad, the SA Police Services, CoCT Law Enforcement officers, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, and GB Med ambulance services were activated and responded to the scene.
On arriving on the scene, at our NSRI Gordons Bay satellite station in Strand, our NSRI crew and the emergency services monitored the kite surfer who was drifting about 200 meters off-shore and he was able to get to shore safely without incident.
He had suffered a slight hand injury due to mechanical failure on his kite-board - we believe from his carbine that had snapped while he was kite surfing.
Despite the injury he was able to get to shore unaffected.
The kite surfer was checked by paramedics and it was determined that he was fine and no further assistance was required.
We commend the eye-witnesses for their vigilance and swift actions in alerting NSRI and the emergency services.
We commend the duty controllers at the various emergency operations centres, EMS Metro Control, the 107 emergency control, Police Control, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services duty controllers, our NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) and NSRI Gordons Bay duty controllers for their assistance in the swift coordination.
The swift response of NSRI Gordons Bay and the emergency services - to the scene - is commended.
NSRI appeal to kite boarders to carry safety equipment and download and use the NSRI RSA SafeTrx smartphone application when launching onto water.
Then, while still at that scene, at 18h13, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew diverted from Topaz (the kite-boarder incident) to respond to reports of a RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat), with a man and woman onboard, capsized just outside of Harbour Island, with both casualty crew, a local husband and wife, both wearing life-jackets, reported to be in distress in the water and being swept away by sea currents.
Our NSRI Gordons Bay rescue vehicle and NSRI rescue swimmers, GB Med ambulance services and the EMS rescue squad responded.
A red distress flare had been activated by a bystander at that same location.
The NSRI rescue craft Boetie Woltemade was launched from the NSRI Gordons Bay rescue station.
A fishing boat Catamaran had reached the female, she had hung onto the side of the fishing boat, with a crewman also hanging onto her, while the skipper of the fishing boat negotiated punching through 2 to 3 meter wave sets to drag the female out to sea beyond the breakers and away from danger, where crew of the fishing boat were then able to recover her onto their boat before returning in through the harbour mouth to the dock side.
A GB Med paramedic had by that stage made his way over rocks to reach the man who was being battered against rocks in the sea swells and he had recovered the casualty man to safety onto the shore and out of danger.
The husband and wife were reunited with each other and following some medical treatment, by paramedics, for minor cuts and bruises and for hypothermia they required no further medical assistance.
The casualty boat, still in the inshore surf line, was at that stage unmanned and being battered against rocks in the heavy sea surf.
NSRI’s efforts to try recover the boat proved to be too hazardous.
The casualty boat is expected to wash ashore further down on a beach where the owner will investigate a recovery of his boat.
Everyone involved are commended for saving 2 lives.
SHELLY BEACH:
Melody Herrmann, NSRI Shelly Beach duty controller, said:
A LOCAL DIVE CHARTER BOAT WITH STEERING MECHANICAL FAILURE ASSISTED:
At 10h58, Saturday, 29 April, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a local dive charter boat, off-shore of Shelly Beach, reporting steering mechanical failure.
Our NSRI rescue craft jet-rib was diverted from a routine training exercise nearby and rendezvoused with the casualty vessel.
There was no immediate danger.
Upon arrival at the scene, five passengers, all Austrian tourists, aged between 25 and 58, were transferred from the casualty boat onto the NSRI rescue craft. The transfer was completed without incident, and all passengers were brought safely to shore.
Despite efforts to repair the steering on the casualty boat, it could not be resolved.
The NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Day was launched to tow the casualty boat onto the beach. The tow operation was successful, and the casualty boat was safely beached.
The skipper and crew of the dive charter boat are commended for their assistance during this operation.
SUNDAY, 30 APRIL:
CLIFTON
David Rosenberg, NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander, said:
NSRI BAKOVEN and NSRI TABLE BAY RESPOND TO A DROWNING IN PROGRESS:
Good Samaritan‘s intervened at Clifton’s 1st Beach to save two children, an eight year old and a 10 year old, who got into difficulty after being swept out to sea in rip currents while swimming.
Multiple calls were received by concerned eye-witnesses.
Alex Elcock, a resident at Clifton 1st Beach, stayed on the line with NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) controllers, relaying critical information updating NSRI EOC and the responding emergency resources while the incident was unfolding.
Her husband, Andrew, had launched into the surf to assist.
NSRI believe that an additional 2 bystanders, one who may have had an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy with him, had also entered the surf.
Sea conditions were rough with 2 to 3 meter swells.
The City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network was alerted.
NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay Rescue Swimmers, CoCT Law Enforcement officers and off-duty Clifton lifeguards responded directly to the scene.
WC Government Health EMS Metro Control dispatched Generic Paramedics ambulance services who responded.
NSRI Bakoven duty crew responded to the NSRI Bakoven rescue station and launched the NSRI rescue craft Gemini Legend.
2 NSRI rescue swimmers launched into the water at Clifton 1st Beach.
At that stage the 10 year old male was being assisted out of the water by, we believe to be 2 Good Samaritan bystanders who we have not yet been able to identify. That child was safe after reaching the beach with the assistance of these Good Samaritans and with the assistance of additional bystanders who waded into the surf to help.
Good Samaritan Andrew Elcock had reached the eight year old male, about 20 meters off-shore, finding the child to be slipping under water and in severe distress, caught in a strong rip current and being dunked under the incoming waves.
Andrew realised that it would be futile to try to swim the child through the surf towards the beach through the breaking surf line and caught in the strong rip current Andrew simply kept the child afloat, knowing that NSRI was responding.
Andrew has commended the bravery of the child.
Andrew held onto the child, and being a regular swimmer at Clifton, Andrew rode the rip current out to sea, holding onto the child, while coaching the child to tread water, to stay afloat.
As each wave approached Andrew coached the child on how to dunk under the wave, stay under until the tailing wash dissipated before resurfacing and then staying afloat, treading water, at the mercy (the assistance) of the outgoing rip current to face the next incoming wave with the same procedure.
At times Andrew, who attests to the trust the child put in him, coached the child to take a deep breath and then Andrew forcibly dunked him under an incoming wave while at all times holding onto the child preventing him from being caught in the tail wash of each wave.
The child did exceptionally well, said Andrew. He was not panicking and he kept his wits about him despite the grave danger we found ourselves facing. His bravery is highly commended, said Andrew!
The NSRI rescue swimmers reached Andrew and the 8 year old casualty about 200 meters off-shore. A rescue buoy was passed to the child to hold onto for floatation in the care of the NSRI rescue swimmer while Andrew was successfully treading water.
The NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene taking all onboard the rescue craft where medical treatment for hypothermia was initiated to the child.
Aboard the rescue craft they were brought to the NSRI Bakoven rescue station where medical treatment for severe hypothermia was continued to be administered to the child.
Good Samaritan Andrew was also assisted to be warmed up from hypothermia.
A Generic Paramedics ambulance services ambulance arrived at Clifton 1st Beach where paramedics checked on the 10 year old child finding him to be in a satisfactory condition.
EMS Metro Control then diverted the Generic Paramedics ambulance to the Bakoven NSRI rescue station. They transported the mom, her 10 year old child and her 5 year old child (the 5 year old had not been in the water) to Bakoven.
En route to Bakoven Generic paramedics continued to observe the 10 year old child checking on him for non-fatal drowning symptoms but he was already in good spirits and in no need of any further medical care.
On arrival at the NSRI Bakoven rescue station Generic paramedics assisted our NSRI medics in continuing medical treatment to the 8 year old child for non-fatal drowning symptoms and for severe hypothermia.
Once stabilised the 8 year old child, accompanied by his family, was transported to hospital in the Generic Paramedics ambulance, in the care of paramedics, in a serious but stable condition, where he was later released by hospital staff, requiring no further medical care.
NSRI commend Alex and her husband Good Samaritan Andrew Alcock, and the unidentified Good Samaritans, for going above and beyond the call of duty to save the lives of the 2 children.
The 2 children are commended for their bravery and tenacity in the face of grave danger.
Everyone involved, the emergency controllers, the emergency resources, the Good Samaritans, the eye-witnesses and bystanders who are all commended for their swift actions that averted a potential tragedy.
The Cameroon family, who reside in Bryanston, Johannesburg, have expressed their heartfelt deep gratitude for the combined efforts of everyone involved.
The 2 children are healthy and in good spirits.
HERMANUS:
Andre Barnard, NSRI Hermanus station commander, said:
SUCCESSFUL RESCUES AT DANGEROUS ESTUARY MOUTH BREACH AT THE KLEIN RIVER LAGOON:
Sunday, 30 April, - The National Sea Rescue Institute responded to multiple distress calls at the Klein River estuary mouth in Grotto Bay, where the breaking of the estuary caused a heavy water flow into the sea, attracting many onlookers.
Just before 11h00 NSRI Hermanus received a distress call that a vessel with one person on board had been pulled out of the estuary and was in difficulty in the mouth. The vessel was safely grounded on the beach before rescue resources arrived and the sailor was safe.
It appears that the sailing vessel had been swept out of the Klein River Lagoon through the breached estuary.
Arrangements were made with Cape Nature for the owner to recover the vessel off the beach.
Then, at 11h50, we received another call from the public that a person in a wetsuit had attempted to swim across the newly breached estuary mouth and appeared to be pulled out to sea in currents caused by the fast flowing breached estuary.
NSRI Hermanus rescue swimmers responded immediately, launching our NSRI rescue craft jet-rib and Rotarian Burnett.
On arrival on the scene we found that the casualty, a local, had safely made it to shore and he required no assistance.
While returning to base, as we reached the New Harbour, we received yet another call of two bodyboarders in difficulty at the estuary mouth.
Our team responded swiftly and arrived on the scene just as the two individuals made it ashore. We stayed on the scene for approximately an hour, monitoring the situation with the breached estuary, before returning to base.
Later, it was revealed that the bodyboarders had gone into the water to assist the first person in difficulty, and they were not actually in any trouble. There was some conflicting information coming through at different times during these rescue operations.
The opening of the estuary mouth, combined with the large swell, created extremely dangerous conditions.
We commend the swift action of our NSRI Hermanus crew in responding to these calls and carrying out the rescues without incident.
We remind the public to always prioritise safety when near the water, especially during times of high danger, and to avoid venturing too close to dangerous estuary mouths or currents.
DURBAN:
Jonathan Kellerman, NSRI Durban station commander, said:
VASCO DA GAMA OCEAN RACE 23 - YACHT ANNA WARDLEY ASSISTED:
At 12h45 on Sunday, 30th April, the NSRI Durban duty crew were rehousing our NSRI rescue craft at our NSRI Durban rescue station after assisting at the start of the Vasco da Gama Ocean Race 23 off-shore of the Port of Durban.
We received a call from race officers requesting NSRI assistance for the 34 meter yacht Spirit of Anna Yardley, with 5 crew onboard.
The yachts had suffered steering failure during the early stages of the race.
We launched the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 6 and rendezvoused with the yacht two nautical miles off-shore of the Durban Port South Breakwater.
The casualty yacht crew were in no immediate danger.
A tow line was established and the yacht was safely returned to the international mooring at Durban Marina without incident. On arrival at the Marina we rafted our rescue craft alongside the casualty yacht to safely moor her alongside a berth.
No further assistance was required.
The crew of yacht Anna Wardley set sail continuing on the race to East London and we believe they are effecting repairs during the voyage.
PLETTENBERG BAY: A safety appeal
Read More
Arthur Crewe, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam station commander, said: During ongoing search operations on Tuesday morning Police divers, assisted by NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam, Hartbeespoort SRU (Strategic Rescue Unit) and Hartbeespoort Marine Law Enforcement, located and recovered the body of a local ...
Police divers are continuing in an ongoing search for a missing local male teenager at Umzumbe, KZN South Coast, where a man lost his life and a man has been hospitalised, family members, in a tragedy on Saturday. ...
A sailing yacht run aground at Clifton 4th Beach is recovered safely, while a second sailing yacht self recovers after drifting into shallow water at Clifton 4th Beach. ...