The Weekend That Was for the NSRI

CLOVELLY:

Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown duty controller, said:

At 17h19, Saturday, 30 November, NSRI Simonstown duty crew and CMR (Cape Medical Response) ambulance services were activated following eyewitness reports to NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) requesting medical assistance for a non-fatal drowning at Clovelly corner.

NSRI Simonstown crew, a CMR rescue vehicle and a CMR ambulance responded.

On arrival on the scene, on the Clovelly end of Fish Hoek Beach, at Clovelly corner, a local father and his son were treated by paramedics for non-fatal drowning symptoms and both were transported to hospital by CMR ambulance for medical treatment and observations for non-fatal drowning symptoms, in stable conditions.

It appears that local families were having a picnic at the beach when their family members, a male teenager and a female teenager, friends, were caught in rip currents while swimming.

The father of the girl launched into the water and he was able to rescue his daughter safely to the beach. They were not injured.

The father of the boy had also launched into the water to go after his son but both of them remained caught in rip currents and they were both in distress.

Local residents, living across the road at Clovelly, noticed the commotion.
A father and his son sprang into action to go to try to help.
They ran across the road and over the railway line, to get to the beach, where the son, armed with his personal body board, and his dad, who had grabbed a hold of the NSRI pink rescue buoy station at the beach at Clovelly corner, together, the father and son, Good Samaritans, swam out to sea and reached the casualty father and his son at the backline breakers.

Using the body board and the NSRI pink rescue buoy for flotation, the Good Samaritans father and son were able to rescue the casualty father and son safely to the beach.

The Good Samaritan father and son are commended for saving the lives of the 2 casualties.

This is the 200th successful bystander rescue using an NSRI pink rescue buoy, that we know of, since the inception of the NSRI pink rescue buoy program launched in 2017.

The dad who rescued his daughter is commended for his efforts.

GORDONS BAY:

Rian Basson, NSRI Gordons Bay duty coxswain, said:

At 13h40, Saturday, 30 November, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated after NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) intercepted a NSRI SafeTrx emergency activation, from a local paddler on a surfski, taking part in a local surf-ski event.
The paddler had capsized offshore offshore in the vicinity of The Caves, past Dappat se Gat, towards Koegelbaai.

Their safety vessel, a jetski, had gone to assist the paddler when a rope line may have wrapped around the jetski shaft, disabling the jetski.

The surfskier was able to get back onto his surfski and drifted with the jetski and he used his NSRI Safetrx smart phone application to raise the alarm.

NSRI Gordons Bay, engaged in a training exercise at the time, diverted the NSRI rescue craft Zelda and responded while the NSRI Gordons Bay rescue vehicle was dispatched.

The crew on the NSRI rescue vehicle, using binoculars, and assisted by shark spotters at Dappat se Gat, spotted the casualty offshore between The Caves and Koegelbaai.

The NSRI rescue craft reached them and took both the safety jetskier, a female age 23, and the surfskier, a male age 29, onto the rescue craft and the surfski was recovered onto the rescue craft.

A towline was established and NSRI towed the jetski to Koegelbaai Resort Beach where the jet-ski was recovered onto a trailer and they rewquired no further assistance.

On Sunday, 1 December, at 06h45, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a paddler, on a sea-kayak, appearing to be in distress offshore of Strand Beach.

The paddler appeared to be struggling to get upright on his sea-kayak.

The NSRI rescue craft Zelda was launched at the NSRI Gordons Bay Strand satellite station and the NSRI quad bike was dispatched.

On arrival on the scene the paddler, a local adult male, was taken onboard the rescue craft and brought safely to shore where he required no further assistance.

WILDERNESS:

Ross Labaschagne, NSRI Wilderness duty coxswain, said:

On Saturday, 30 November, at 11h34, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a man on a motorised sea-kayak reporting engine failure, between Wilderness Beach and Flat Rock.

The NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Rotary was launched.

On arrival on the scene it was found that there were two double motorised sea-kayaks, with 2 men on one kayak and and a man and a lady on one kayak.

One of the sea-kayak was experiencing motor failure and sea conditions were deteriorating with sea chop increasing – it was decided to take all 4 casualties to shore and recover their fishing sea-kayaks.

NSRI launched the NSRI rescue craft Olivers Rescue to join in the operation.

2 casualties were taken onboard one of the rescue craft and the sea-kayak was taken to shore aboard the second NSRI rescue craft that then returned to the scene and the 4 casualties and the second sea-kayak was taken ashore and they required no further assistance.

NSRI are appealing to paddlers boaters and sailors to download and always use the free NSRI SafeTrx smart phone application when launching onto water.

CLIFTON:

Luke van Riet, NSRI Bakoven duty coxswain, said:

At 08h39, Sunday, 1 December, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a sea-kayak appearing to be in difficulty offshore of Clifton 4th Beach.

NSRI crew responded directly to the scene while the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Rotary East London II was launched.

CoCT (City of Cape Town) lifeguards and Clifton lifeguards arriving on-duty prepared their IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat) to be launched and CoCT lifeguards, coming on duty at Camps Bay, also responded.

CoCT Law Enforcement and WC Government Health EMS Metro Control were alerted.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services broadcast an all ships alert, in the area of Clifton, to be on a sharp lookout for the casualty sea-kayak.

It was discovered that a British adult man got into difficulties in the water during a swimming event. 2 safety sea-kayaks had gone to assist. The eyewitness had reported seeing the one sea-kayak quite far out to sea and suspected it was the sea-kayaker in difficulty.

On the NSRI rescue craft’s arrival on the scene the casualty swimmer was found holding onto one of the sea-kayaks, and together with the second safety sea-kayak they were caught in offshore winds and being swept further out to sea.

The 2 safety sea-kayaks, the 2 safety paddlers and the swimmer, were taken onboard the rescue craft and they were brought to Clifton 4th beach where Clifton and CoCT lifeguards, assisted by NSRI medics, initiated medical treatment to the British man, at the Clifton Surf Lifesaving medical room.

An EMS ambulance was dispatched.

Following medical treatment, assisted by EMS paramedics, the man required no further assistance.

JEFFREYS BAY:

Kristo Kritzinger, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station commander, said:

At 08h55, Sunday, 1 December, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following an emergency call to NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) from an eyewitness, at Paradise Beach, reporting a man on a sea-kayak appearing to be in difficulty offshore of the old ski-boat club, at the Seekooi River Mouth.

NSRI Jeffreys Bay crew launched the NSRI rescue craft JetRib.

On arrival on the scene the 62 year old local man had been adrift in the water, holding onto his sea-kayak, about 400 meters offshore of the Seekooi River Mouth – his sea-kayak had taken on water from an apparent crack in the main frame.

He was brought safely to shore and he required no further assistance.

GQEBERHA:

Jonathan Tufts, NSRI Gqeberha deputy station commander, said:

At 13h23, Sunday, 1 December, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew launched the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha to assist a local man on a semi rigid hull inflatable boat with motor mechanical failure, about a nautical mile offshore of Cape Recife.

On arrival on the scene the man was found safe and we towed him to the harbour without incident and he required no further assistance.