Simon Mc Donnell, NSRI Simons Town duty controller, said: At 10h48, Tuesday, 21 October, NSRI Simons Town duty crew were activated following an urgent request for assistance from a local surf-skier reporting 2 surf-ski's collided, during a down wind paddle, 300 meters offshore North of Roman Rock Lighthouse.
It was reported that one surf-ski was damaged and at risk of sinking with one surf-skier holding onto the second surf-ski that retained its integrity remaining afloat.
An NSRI SafeTrx emergency activation was received by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) simultaneously indicating a paddler in distress and giving accurate coordinates to the emergency.
Our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Simons Town station 10 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Donna Nicholas was launched.
Our NSRI coast watchers were alerted - to get visuals on the casualty surf-skiers - while an NSRI crewman, observing from the shoreline, confirmed that a third surf-skier had joined the 2 surf-skiers who were involved in the collision - the 3rd surf-skier standing-by on the scene to render additional assistance.
Our NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene where we recovered the casualty surf-skier, a local adult male, onto our NSRI rescue craft - he was not injured.
The 2 remaining surf-skiers continued on their paddle reaching the shoreline safely without incident.
NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the surf in efforts to recover the damaged surf-ski, heavy laden with water, the efforts were not immediately possible. Assisted by the NSRI rescue swimmers a towline was rigged to the damaged surf-ski that was towed to our NSRI rescue base.
Once safely at our NSRI rescue base the damaged surf-ski was recovered and no further assistance was required.
The swift actions of the 2 surf-skiers involved in the collision, raising the alarm and keeping a calm presence, as well as the attendance the third surf-skier - standing-by to render assistance, and the swift response of NSRI Simons Town, is commended.
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