Jonathan Britton, NSRI Wilderness station commander, said: At 10h17, Saturday, 23 May, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of an unidentified object landing in the sea about a nautical mile offshore of The Steps, Wilderness Beach.
A video of the unidentified object landing in the water was sent to NSRI for examination.
Our duty crew responded to our NSRI Wilderness station 23 rescue base where we launched the NSRI rescue craft Ann Stratford while our NSRI rescue vehicle responded to Dolphin Point to get visuals.
ARCC (Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre) were alerted and they distributed the video in efforts to determine what the flying object may be, which included SAWS (SA Weather Services) examining if it may be a weather balloon, and investigations by aeronautical authorities and ATC (Air Traffic Control) to determine if it may possibly be a large drone.
On the NSRI rescue craft arriving on the scene, following a brief search, the object was located and confirmed to be large helium party balloons.
The party balloons were recovered for disposal.
The eyewitnesses that raised the alarm are commended for their vigilance.
The operation was completed at 11h29.
Mud Finger
Fun South African Fact: The Karoo region in the Western Cape is home to some of the best fossils of early dinosaurs. In fact, it is estimated that some 80% of the mammalian fossils found to date were found in the Karoo.