Gordon’s Bay: 2 Windsurfers Assisted

Schalk Boonzaier, NSRI Kleinmond station commander, said: At 14h26, Friday, 6 February, NSRI Kleinmond duty crew were activated following an eyewitness reporting to suspecting 2 windsurfers who may be in difficulties between 1 to 2 nautical miles offshore of Rooi Els.

NSRI rescue swimmers responded to investigate while NSRI Kleinmond duty crew responded to our NSRI Kleinmond station 42 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft JetRIB was towed to Rooi Els, with our NSRI rescue vehicle, and the rescue craft was launched at Rooi Els.

NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated and responded to the NSRI Gordons Bay station 9 rescue base and prepared a rescue craft to be launched.

NSRI Kleinmond crew arriving at Rooi Els found a local rubber-duck, with 2 local men, Good Samaritans, had launched to go to the assistance of the 2 male windsurfers and they had reached them.

Our NSRI rescue craft arrived on the scene, between 1 and 2 nautical miles offshore, finding one of the windsurfers had been taken onboard the Good Samaritans rubber-duck.

NSRI recovered the casualties windsurf board, sail and gear, that was brought to shore.

The man was brought ashore aboard the Good Samaritans rubber-duck.

NSRI stayed with the second windsurfer for a short while but he was then able to sail back to shore without assistance.

The 2 local adult men, from Lakeside, were windsurfing when the mast of one windsurf appears to have snapped.

The 2 men were well kitted with safety gear – life-jackets, marine VHF handheld radio’s, cellphones – fully charged in water tight sleeves, distress flares and the NSRI SafeTRX app on their phones (that was programmed for their windsurfing trip). They had not activated the NSRI SafeTRX EMERGENCY as they felt that they would have been able to self rescue but they appreciated the assistance from the Good Samaritans and the swift response of NSRI.

Once safely ashore no further assistance was required.

The 2 local Good Samaritans are commended for their assistance.