Rescue Operations Underway at Kariega, Gqeberha, East London Weather Related Flooding Update

East London, Eastern Cape, following the assistance on Sunday morning on the Buffalo River, where a sailing yacht sunk with a jetty and where NSRI East London saved a passenger barge from sinking (towed safely to moorings), at 12h06, Sunday, 2 June, NSRI East London, SA Police Services, the Police Dive Unit, Police K9 Search and Rescue, Priority Care ambulance services, BCM Traffic Services and emergency services responded 10 flood related incidents at various locations around East London.

East London, Eastern Cape, following the assistance on Sunday morning on the Buffalo River, where a sailing yacht sunk with a jetty and where NSRI East London saved a passenger barge from sinking (towed safely to moorings), at 12h06, Sunday, 2 June, NSRI East London, SA Police Services, the Police Dive Unit, Police K9 Search and Rescue, Priority Care ambulance services, BCM Traffic Services and emergency services responded 10 flood related incidents at various locations around East London.

NSRI duty controllers, Police, the emergency services, BCM (Buffalo City Municipality) and Disaster Risk Management manned a JOC (Joint Operations Centre) at NSRI East London station 7 rescue base.

A VOC (Volunteer Operations Centre) was established at The City Hall by BCM authorities.

At various locations around East London persons (families) were assisted from flood related entrapments at residences, buildings, vehicles and at flooded areas in 10 search and rescue operations.

At one scene a public member used his all 4x4 vehicle to assist to pull a vehicle free from a river. He is commended for his assistance.

At one scene 6 persons (4 adults, one aged 80, and 2 children) were rescued from a flooded home, where sadly their 2 dogs succumbed to fatal drowning.

In the Port of East London dense hyacinth may have contributed to capturing the extensive waste, flooding of plastic waste and debris that has flowed down the river, that has caused the Port to be barely navigational to vessels due to the extensive debris and waste.

All services remain on high alert to respond to emergencies.

KARIEGA:

At Kariega, it has come to light that the incident where 6 persons were trapped in their vehicle on the Brak River, Rocklands, it is confirmed that they entered the water at 03h00 Sunday morning. where it is believed that their vehicle was swept off a bridge into the Brak River which was unusually under flood from heavy rainfall.

NSRI has confirmed that they initially remained in their car that was trapped in the flooded river, where flood conditions increased forcing them to attempt to escape out their vehicle which was almost completely swamped.

NSRI believe that they forced the back window of the vehicle open and, while attempting to climb onto the roof of the vehicle, the mother was swept away and the dad was swept to an island that had formed in the middle of the river - there he was able to clamber to safety.

NSRI Gqeberha, NSRI Jeffreys Bay and NSRI Oyster Bay reached them after a SMHART security officer had spotted the vehicle plunging off the bridge where members were spotted huddling on the roof of the car and SMHART contacted the JOC (Joint Operations Centre) at the Church Street Police station that was being manned by NSRI duty controllers, assisted by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) in Cape Town.

On arrival on the scene, after evaluating the situation, in tremendously dangerous flood water conditions, with debris, trees, rocks, and waste flowing down river, in heavy rain downpours and dark moonless conditions,

NSRI, Police divers, Police K9 Search and Rescue, set up a technical rope and pulley system and using an Police floating canoe (CROC, 6 INCH) NSRI rescue swimmers and Pipice divers reached the family where all 4 were brought across the flooded river, in relays, to safety.

The dad, on the island, was then rescued using the same method.

They were rewarmed, they were suffering hypothermia, in NSRI rescue vehicles with heaters on full, hydrated, and then transported to a mustering area in Kariega where they are recovering.

An extensive search was continued, by NSRI, Police divers and Police K9 Search and Rescue, into daylight, for the mom who sadly remains missing.

Our thoughts are with this family and everyone affected and displaced, by the tragic sudden flooding.

Condolences are conveyed to those who have lost loved ones.

Police are continuing in an ongoing search for 4 missing females. It is not known to NSRI if this number has changed.

Our thoughts are with the families, of those missing, in this difficult time.

These are only some of the extraordinary rescue operations carried out by NSRI and Police (local Police, Police divers and Police K9 Search and Rescue), Coastal Water Rescue, Relay ambulance services and Priority Care ambulance services during the night and into Sunday.

Assisted by DRM, Municipal authorities, Fire and Rescue Services, EMS and community services.

An earlier media statement ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NSRI – STATION 6, Gqeberha. STATION 36, Oyster Bay. STATION 37, Jeffreys Bay. STATION 7, East London.

NSRI – KARIEGA, GQEBERHA, EAST LONDON – Sunday, 2 June. Rescue operations underway at flooding:

KARIEGA, GQEBERHA, EAST LONDON WEATHER RELATED FLOODING:

(Kariega - the former Uitenhage)

4 females remain missing, an adult male and a (believed to be) baby girl are deceased at various scenes at Kariega.

At least up to 70 persons have been safely removed to various mustering points in 55 rescue operations - to be updated.

SA Police Services, Police divers, Police K9 Search and Rescue, Fire and Rescue Services, Relay ambulance services, NSRI stations 6 Gqeberha, 36 Oyster Bay and 37 Jeffreys Bay, Coastal Water Rescue, EC Government Health EMS, local security companies and community are deployed together with NMBMM (Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality).

Resources were activated on Saturday, 1 June, from around 22h45, during heavy rain.

NSRI has 3 JetRibs and a number of 6 inch floating rescue craft, NSRI rescue vehicles with NSRI rescue swimmers and Coastal Water Rescue rescue swimmers assisting the SA Police Services, Police divers and Police K9 Search and Rescue, together with the emergency services, in ongoing search and rescue operations.

Multiple rescue operations remain underway.

In one incident at around 03h00 a SMHART security officer reported a vehicle with 6 persons trapped in the flooded Brak River, Rocklands, - 1 male was recovered safely from an island, that had formed in the river, an adult female was swept away and is missing, the remaining 4 of these 6 people were recovered safe on the Southern side of the river.

Multiple rescue operations have recovered persons safely from buildings, residences and vehicles.

NSRI and Coastal Water Rescue have multiple rescuers in wet suits on scene assisting Police divers, Police K9 Search and Rescue, NMBMM, the emergency services in operations.

Search and rescue operations are continuing at Kariega

The Fire Station at Kariega has been flooded.

At the Port of Port Elizabeth - NSRI Gqeberha, in cooperation with TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Port Elizabeth Port Control - are assessing reports of vessels breaking their moorings.

At East London, NSRI East London, in cooperation with the TNPA Port of East London Port Control, are assisting on the Buffalo River, at Jetties sunken or washed away and boats/vessels breaking moorings.

Unfolding and ongoing.