A husband and wife, on a double surf ski, are commended for using our NSRI SafeTrx phone application that contributed to saving their lives after getting into difficulty and capsizing while on a downwind paddle from Fish Hoek to Millers Point on Wednesday in False Bay.
Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simons Town duty controller, said:
At 14h37, Wednesday, 20 August, NSRI Simons Town duty crew were activated following a SafeTrx emergency activation, intercepted by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), indicating a couple on a double surf ski in distress in the vicinity offshore of Fisherman's Beach, Simons Town.
In cellphone communications with the husband and wife who were in distress, although communications were hampered against the noise of strong winds and rough seas, they confirmed to NSRI EOC that they were now aware NSRI Simons Town were responding to their distress call.
While our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Simons Town station 10 rescue base our NSRI coast watchers and an NSRI rescue vehicle were dispatched to get eyes on the casualties from the shoreline, and CMR (Cape Medical Response) were activated.
The NSRI rescue craft Donna Nicholas was launched and arriving in the vicinity - following the GPS coordinates provided to us from the NSRI SafeTrx technology - we swiftly located the couple.
They were in the water clinging onto their surf ski.
NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed from our rescue craft into the surf where they secured the 2 casualties and both were rescued safely onto our rescue craft and their surf ski was recovered.
Sea conditions were rough, with 3 to 4 meter swells and gusting to 35 knot North Westerly winds.
Medical treatment was immediately initiated to the couple who were both in a serious condition suffering hypothermia.
They were brought to our NSRI rescue base where CMR paramedics continued with medical treatment and after being re-warmed they were released requiring no further assistance.
The couple have expressed their gratitude to NSRI Simons Town for saving their lives and the testament to our NSRI advanced technology - NSRI SafeTrx - that played a critical role in their rescue.
A local man recovered from the water is sadly deceased from undetermined causes:
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