A surf-skier rescued

KNYSNA: Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said:

At 08h38, Monday, 28 April, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a paddler appearing to be in difficulties in the Knysna Heads.

Our NSRI crew responded to our NSRI Knysna station 12 rescue base where our NSRI rescue craft JayTee IV was launched.

NSRI shore crew responded to an elevated lookout point to keep a vigil of the casualty surf-skier.

Our NSRI rescue craft reached the casualty, an adult male from Pretoria, in the Knysna Heads, where an NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed into the water. The casualty man was rescued onto the NSRI rescue craft and while the NSRI rescue swimmer stayed with the casualty surf-ski, in the surf zone, our NSRI rescue craft negotiated incoming wave sets - heading further out to sea, through the Knysna Heads, during a retreating tide - then, during a lull in the wave sets our rescue craft returned and recovered our NSRI rescue swimmer and the casualty craft.

The casualty man was brought to shore at Knysna Lagoon where once safely ashore he required no further assistance.