Rescue Operations in Durban, West Coast, Table Bay and Plettenberg Bay:

DURBAN: 2 fishermen on fishing kayaks have been rescued after getting into difficulties.

Jacques Kruger, NSRI Durban duty coxswain, said:

At 14h20, Saturday, 3 May, NSRI Duty duty crew were activated by TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Durban Port Control following a request for assistance from a local motor boat charter pleasure cruiser reporting that they had rescued a local adult man offshore of Durban and one adult man, the casualties friend, remained missing.

It appears that the charter fishing boat came across the man in the water that they rescued onto their boat learning that he had been separated from his fishing sea-kayak (that was unaccounted for) and that his friend, also on a fishing sea-kayak, was still at sea in the vicinity and possibly in difficulties.

The skipper of the charter boat raised the alarm while bringing the casualty, that they had onboard their charter boat, into the Port of Durban.

At that stage it was unknown if the outstanding fisherman was in trouble, and possibly also separated from his fishing sea-kayak.

NSRI Durban crew, who were at the NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base conducting routine maintenance at the time immediately launched the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski 6.

Our NSRI rescue craft rendezvoused with the charter boat where the casualty man was transferred onto our rescue craft.

The charter boat skipper and crew are commended for their efforts.

We proceeded to search for the casualty man's friend when we came across the abandoned fishing sea-kayak - giving us the indication that we were searching in the right direction.

Our NSRI rescue vehicle was dispatched to search for the missing fisherman along the shoreline while a second NSRI JetRIB rescue craft, Spirit of Santam 3, was launched to join in the search.

Our rescue craft continued to search northwards towards Umhlanga in strong South Westerly winds winds.

North of Blue Lagoon our first NSRI rescue craft turned around searching back along the shoreline towards the Port of Durban when we came across the paddler, finding him tired and fatigued, on his fishing sea-kayak, and attempting to keep the kayak upright.

The second casualty was rescued onto our NSRI rescue craft and his craft was recovered at 15h55.

We then proceeded back towards Port with both men safely onboard our rescue craft and en-route we recovered the remaining casualty craft.

Both men were brought safely to Vetchies Beach and they required no further assistance.

The operation was completed at 16h35.

NSRI are appealing top paddlers, boaters and sailors to download and use the free NSRI SafeTrx app available on our web page at www.nsri.org.za

WEST COAST:

A local sailing vessel experiencing difficulties guided, and then escorted, to safety.

On Friday, 2 May, NSRI Port Nolloth, NSRI Lamberts Bay and NSRI Mykonos were placed on alert following reports of a St Helena Bay, Port Owen, sailing yacht, with 4 local crew onboard, reportedly returning from a training voyage (that had gone up the coast towards Namibia) with their sailing vessel experienced mechanical motor failure, believed to have caused some ingress of water, and a power surge that had disabled electrical power with the casualty vessel limping slowly towards St Helena Bay.

Using a satellite phone they raised the alarm, reporting to be 100 nautical miles North of Lamberts Bay and 40 nautical miles offshore, requesting assistance and also reporting one crewman experiencing severe motion sickness.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI operations headquarters, and NSRI Port Nolloth, NSRI Lamberts Bay and NSRI Mykonos duty controllers, assisted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services, coordinated efforts to get them to safety.

In ongoing communications over the weekend it was decided, for safety, for the casualty sailing yacht to head towards Port Nolloth.

With them closer to Port Nolloth, NSRI crew at NSRI Port Nolloth station 43, launched the NSRI rescue craft Vodacom Rescuer 2 and rendezvoused with the sailing yacht 10 nautical miles South of Port Nolloth.

NSRI rescue crew were transferred onto the sailing yacht to assist the crew onboard to sail and motor the yacht, now only on one motor, while the casualty crewman was brought to shore aboard the NSRI rescue craft.

Our NSRI craft then returned to the casualty sailing yacht and escorted her into Port Nolloth where the sailing crew will make repairs before continuing on their voyage.

The cooperation and coordination between all involved are commended for getting the sailing yacht and her crew to safety.

TABLE BAY:

A local RHIB with steering failure towed to safety.

Ewald Bonzet, NSRI Table Bay duty coxswain, said:

On Thursday, 1 May, at 09h26, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were activated by TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Table Bay Port Control, following a request for assistance from a local RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) reporting their steering disabled with 2 crew onboard, a local dad and his son, offshore of Granger Bay.

NSRI crew responded to our NSRI Table Bay station 3 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Day was launched.

Our rescue craft rendezvoused with the casualty craft offshore of Granger Bay where we found them safe and at anchor - a towline was rigged, and they were towed safely into Port without incident and after their boat was recovered, they required no further assistance.

PLETTENBERG BAY:

A teenager injured on a hiking trail brought to safety.

Jaco Kruger, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said:

On Thursday, 1 May, at 11h56, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a teenager injured on a hiking trail on the Salt River, Natures Valley.

Accompanied by his dad and mom, they are from Durbanville, the mom had hiked to a cell reception area to raise the alarm after her child was injured in a fall while hiking.

Our NSRI crew responded to our NSRI Plettenberg Bay station 14 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Eric Stratford and Courtenay Rescuer were launched.

Med-Life ambulance services were activated to stand by at our NSRI rescue base.

On arrival in the area, assisted by our Natures Valley community coast watchers, we negotiated entering the river mouth where upstream of the Salt River, at the first bend in the river, we found the family on the riverbanks.

They were in the care of our Natures valley community coast watchers.

An NSRI doctor and our NSRI medics stabilised the teenager who was taken onboard our rescue craft, accompanied by his mom, and they were brought to our NSRI rescue base.

The dad arrived a bit later by car and the parents took their son to hospital.

The teenager is recovering and he is expected to make a full recovery.