Busy public holiday for NSRI
At about 1:40pm, the NSRI crewq at Witsand was activated following reports of a boat capsized at The Bar (in the Breede River Surf Channel).
According to a statement, “The sea rescue craft FALCON RESCUER was launched and on arrival on the scene a 54-year-old local man was found clinging to the upturned hull of his five metre ski-boat STRIKER.
“The man was rescued onto the sea rescue craft and brought to shore where he was treated for shock but he was otherwise not injured and following treatment he required no further medical care.”
NSRI recovered the boat which had sustained some damage.
It appeared that while the man was exiting the Breede River to go to sea to fish his boat was capsized by a wave in the vicinity of The Bar.
Then at 4:20pm, NSRI Witsand were activated to respond to reports of an accident at Malgas Road.
A sea rescue vehicle responded, carrying NSRI medical crew, and it was confirmed that the SA Police Services and WC Government Health EMS had been activated.
“On arrival on the scene a female, aged in her early 40’s, from Greece, on holiday in South Africa, was treated for injuries sustained after her tyre burst causing her car to lose control, veer off the road and collide with a farm building.
“NSRI medics provided medical treatment stabilising the female, suffering shock, bruises, cuts and scrapes and back pain, and medical treatment was taken over by EMS paramedics on their arrival and she has been transported in an EMS ambulance to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.”
In Struisbaai, at 3:25pm, NSRI Agulhas duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from three men, from Bredasdorp, on a four metre rubber-duck reporting motor failure while out fishing.
Reinard Geldenhuys, NSRI Agulhas station commander, said: “We launched our sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF WINELANDS and on arrival on the scene, two nautical miles off-shore, in calm sea conditions, we took their boat under tow and towed them safely to Struisbaai Harbour without incident and they required no further assistance.”
Then at 5:12pm, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports suspecting a SUP (Stand-Up Paddle Boarder) to be in difficulty and possibly being swept far out to sea by currents off-shore of Big Bay, Bloubergstrand (in the vicinity off-shore of Ons Huisie).
Rhine Barnes, NSRI Melkbosstrand station commander, said: “We launched our sea rescue craft QUEENIE PAYNE to investigate while Blouberg Surf Lifesaving reported confirmation that three men on a down wind paddle from Lagoon Beach, Table View, to Big Bay, Blouberg, had just all arrived safely.
“One paddler was known to have lagged a bit behind and while it was suspected that this is the paddler that the eye-witnesses had seen (taking into account the time and the approximate distance off-shore) the sea rescue craft continued on a sweeping line search of the area, Kite-Boarders were interviewed, to check if they had noticed anyone else so far out, and NSRI spotters at elevated positions along the coast kept a lookout, to rule out any other possibilities, but with no additional SUP’s reported overdue or missing we are satisfied that it was most likely the slower one of the three SUP’s arriving at Big Bay that was witnessed.
“The eye-witnesses are commended for their assistance.”
- ANA