Incidents at Richards Bay, Kalk Bay, Gqeberha and Gordons Bay

It was a busy weekend for our volunteers.

RICHARDS BAY:

Norman Rautenbach, NSRI Richards Bay duty coxswain, said:
On Thursday, 24 August, at 13h02, NSRI Richard’s Bay duty crew were alerted following a request for assistance from a local sailing vessel, on her maiden voyage and returning towards Richards Bay, with 4 crew onboard, reporting the vessel suffering steering and motor mechanical failure, at the time off-shore of St Lucia, and making slow progress under sail towards Richards Bay.

NSRI St Lucia were placed on alert.

NSRI Richards Bay duty controllers, assisted by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) and Telkom Maritime Radio Services monitored the progress of the sailing vessel whose crew were in no immediate imminent danger.

It was decided at 20h00 that NSRI Richards Bay duty crew would activate to launch a rescue craft and head towards a rendezvous with the sailing vessel with her crew reporting their vessel to no longer be under command and adrift.

The NSRI Richards Bay rescue craft Ocean Guardian was launched at 20h00 and rendezvoused with the casualty vessel 7 nautical miles North of Richards Bay where on reaching the vessel, and finding her crew to be safe, a towline was established and without incident the vessel was towed safely to the Port of Richards Bay and moored safely at the Zululand Yacht Club.

NSRI commend the cooperation of the sailing casualty vessel crew and maritime authorities in this operation that was completed at 22h30.

KALK BAY:

Simon McDonnell, NSRI Simonstown station commander, said:

At 16h45, Saturday, 26 August, NSRI duty crew were activated following reports of 2 local adult males in the water, after being swept off the harbour wall by a wave and were reported to be being swept out to sea through the harbour entrance, at Kalk Bay Harbour, and one man, identified only as Brandon had entered the water with an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy to try to assist.

NSRI Simonstown launched the NSRI rescue craft Donna Nicholas while NSRI rescue swimmers, CMR (Cape Medical Response) and the City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network were activated.

CoCT Law Enforcement officers, the SA Police Services, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, and WC Government Health EMS were alerted.

NSRI Strandfontein duty crew were activated.

EMS Metro Control investigated the possibility to divert the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, that was engaged on an unrelated routine mission, to respond to the emergency at Kalk Bay.

On arrival on the scene it was found that Good Samaritan Brandon had used an NSRI pink rescue buoy to assist the 2 men.

Brandon had got one man safely to shore where the casualty had been pulled out of the water with the assistance of bystanders.

Good Samaritan Brandon was assisting the second casualty in the water, using the NSRI pink rescue buoy to keep him afloat, but the casualty appeared to have suffered an injury preventing public members, using a ladder, to try to pull that man to safety.

4 NSRI rescue swimmers deployed into the water and they kitted Good Samaritan Brandon with a PFD (personal floatation device).

Good Samaritan Brandon continued to assist NSRI rescue swimmers with the casualty on a ledge below the harbour pier.

On the NSRI rescue craft arriving on the scene a crane was used to hoist the casualty, secured into a specialised hoisting stretcher, onto the rescue craft and the casualty was brought safely to shore.

The injured man was taken into the care of CMR paramedics and he was transported to hospital by CMR ambulance in a serious but stable condition where he is recovering.

NSRI are appealing to Good Samaritan Brandon to come forward by calling NSRI Communications 0823803800.

NSRI commend Brandon for his actions.

Kalk Harbour wall is notorious for its reputation where bystanders may be swept off the harbour wall at high tide when seas are rough.
NSRI appeal to public members to stay clear of Kalk Bay harbour wall during high tide when waves noticeably sweep over the harbour wall.

GQEBERHA:

Mark Dawson, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said:

At 16h12, Saturday, 26 August, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were activated following reports of a motor vessel returning towards Algioa Bay with an injured adult male Greek crewman onboard.

The NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Toft was launched accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and we rendezvoused with the casualty vessel in Algoa Bay in light winds and 3 to 4 meter sea swells.

An NSRI rescue swimmer boarded the motor vessel and the patient, in a serious but stable condition was transferred onto our NSRI rescue crafty.

In the care of the EMS rescue paramedic the patient was brought to our NSRI Gqeberha rescue station and transported to hospital by an EMS ambulance and the patient is being cared for in hospital.

NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), SAPS Sea Borderline Control, EC Government Health EMS and Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) in the logistics and coordination of the medical rescue operation.

GORDONS BAY:

Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI GHordons Bay station commander, said:

At 20h30, Saturday, 26 August, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated to assist a yacht, with 2 crew onboard, a male and a female, who had departed earlier at RCYC (Royal Cape Yacht Club) but in False Bay their vessel suffered
motor mechanical failure and they required assistance to get into Gordons Bay Harbour where they will affect repairs.

They were happy to wait, in no imminent danger, for high tide, and at 10h30 our NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 5 was launched.

We met up with the yacht in 2 to 3 meter swells where 2 NSRI rescue swimmers were transferred onboard the casualty yacht.

A towline was rigged and we towed the casualty yacht to the harbour entrance and then rafted alongside and brought her safely to a mooring in the harbour without incident and they required no further assistance.

The operation was completed at 01h30.