NSRI assists local man and Austrian kite boarder in two…

Spencer Oldham, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said: At 13h59, Monday, 13 November, NSRI Hout Bay duty crew were activated following a request for assistance for a man reported to be in difficulty in the water at Hout Bay harbour.

NSRI rescue swimmers, nearby at the time, and Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services responded.

On arrival on the scene an adult male, believed to have suffered a medical condition reportedly causing him to fall into the water.

He had been rescued from the water by a male friend who had used a fishing gaff to hook the man's arm and get him safely out of the water.

WC Government Health EMS Metro Control were alerted.

Life Healthcare response paramedics responded.

The man was stabilised on the scene by paramedics, which included treatment for hypothermia and treatment for a medical condition.

The man was transported to hospital by a Taurus Medical ambulance in a stable condition and he is expected to make a full recovery.

CAMPS BAY:

NSRI STN 2 BAKOVEN and NSRI STN 3 TABLE BAY:

Luke van Riet, NSRI Bakoven coxswain, said:

At 19h28, Monday, 13 November, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were alerted by an NSRI coast watcher of a kite boarder appearing to be in difficulty off-shore of Camps Bay.

NSRI Bakoven duty crew and NSRI Table Bay duty crews were activated.

While NSRI shore crew assisted our NSRI coast watcher to keep a visual of the kite boarder, in the fast-fading daylight, who had deflated his kite and appeared to be attempting to swim towards Whale Rock, the NSRI Bakoven rescue craft Gemini Legend was launched while the NSRI Table Bay rescue craft Rescue 3 was prepared to be launched.

A public member using a SUP (Stand-Up Paddle Board) had launched into the surf at Camps Bay to attempt to assist the kite boarder.

On arrival on the scene NSRI located the man who had reached Whale Rock.

In the peak of the new moon Spring tide the NSRI rescue craft stood by 50 meters off-shore of Whale Rock.

2 NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the water. They reached the man on Whale Rock ascertaining that he was not injured with only mild hypothermia and minor lacerations to his feet he was safely swum to and recovered onto the rescue craft with his kite sail.

The adult man was brought to the NSRI Bakoven rescue station aboard Gemini Legend where he was treated for mild hypothermia and first aid treatment administered for minor lacerations and abrasions sustained to his feet (believed to be caused after his feet reportedly got entangled in the kite lines and from clambering onto Whale Rock) before being released requiring no further assistance.

A WC Government Health EMS ambulance that was dispatched by EMS Metro Control was stood down from responding.

Following investigations into the safety and wellbeing of the paddler on the SUP - that man was found to have reached the shore safely and he required no assistance.

It appears that the Austrian tourist kite-boarder had launched at Camps Bay while his friend, also an Austrian tourist kite-boarder, and had kept a visual on his friend from the shoreline. They had decided to kite board at Camps Bay at sunset instead of driving to Bloubergstrand where they normally kiteboard. They are staying in South Africa for a month.

NSRI are appealing to public members and the maritime community to be on the look-out for a white and light green DUOTONE JAIME 2021 kiteboard that remains missing at sea related to this incident at Camps Bay.
Call 0823803800 NSRI COMMS or 0870949774 NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) if you locate, recover or see the kiteboard.