NSRI Plettenberg Bay Conducts Multiple Water Rescues at Keurbooms and Central Beach

Ross Badenhorst, NSRI Plettenberg Bay deputy station commander, said: At 16h17, Monday, 22 December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a boat capsized in the Keurbooms River Mouth with 6 persons observed to be in the water.

NSRI crew responded to the NSRI Plettenberg Bay station 14 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Rescue Ray, Eric Stratford and Farnham Rescuer, were launched.

NSRI rescue swimmers and ER24 ambulance services responded.

3 private boats belonging to and helmed by NSRI crew, that were on Keurbooms Lagoon, nearby at the time, responded.

On arrival on the scene the 3 private boats, with NSRI crew onboard, assisted at the capsized RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) where all 6 casualties, 2 adults and 4 teenagers, all males, were rescued from the water and brought safely to shore.

They were medically assessed by NSRI medics and an NSRI doctor. Two of the casualties, male teenagers, suffered injuries and they were transported to hospital for further medical care.

The casualty boat was towed to the Keurbooms Lagoon caravan park, righted, using an NSRI rescue craft, and recovered onto her trailer, using a Keurbooms Lagoon caravan park tractor.

It appears that the boat was capsized by waves while entering the Keurbooms River Mouth.

The swift response is commended.

Earlier, at 08h00, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports of 2 kayakers on a double kayak appearing to be in distress offshore of Plettenberg Bay at Blinders - offshore of Central Beach.

They were waving towards shore and on observation there appeared to be no paddles onboard.

NSRI crew responded to the NSRI Plettenberg Bay station 14 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Rescue Ray was launched.

Shore crew observed a kayaker heading towards them and on reaching the casualty kayakers the single kayaker retreated to come back to shore.

The rescue craft Rescue Ray reached them taking both adult male casualties onboard the rescue craft and a towline was rigged to their double kayak.

They had retrieved one paddle before the rescue craft got to them but by that stage their kayak had been swamped with water.

They were brought safely to our NSRI rescue base where the 2 men, aged 44, from Mossel Bay and aged 50, from Jeffreys Bay, required no further assistance.

NSRI are appealing to paddlers, boaters and sailors, to download and use the NSRI SafeTRX smartphone application.