Andre Fraser, NSRI Mossel Bay coxswain, said: At 16h06, Friday, 29 August, ourNSRI Mossel Bay duty controller was alerted to eyewitness reports of a young man appearing to be distressed on rocks offshore of Die Poort, at The Point, Mossel Bay.
NSRI rescue swimmers responded to the scene to investigate where it was found that a local 20 year old male had found himself cut off from main land in the rising high tide and appearing to be getting increasingly in more distress as the high tide increased with waves threatening to engulf the rocks that he was on.
It became evident that the rocks that the young man was on would be engulfed by waves in the rising tide.
Our NSRI duty crew were activated and responded to our NSRI Mossel Bay station 15 rescue base where rescue equipment was collected and our NSRI rescue vehicle responded to the scene.
The SA Police Services, Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue Services and WC Government Health EMS were activated.
Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) were alerted.
On arrival on the scene NSRI rescue swimmers, accompanied by rescue ropes, an extra life-jacket and protective equipment, were deployed into the water and reached the young man on the rocks, securing him into a life-jacket and protective gear.
Timing the incoming wave sets, that had by that stage increased in intensity causing strong currents flowing around the rocks, in the channel between mainland and the rocks – during a lull in the incoming wave sets – in the care of the NSRI rescue swimmers, with NSRI shore crew controlling tension on the ropes, the man was swum safely to the shoreline, accompanied and secured by NSRI rescue swimmers and he was recovered safely without incident.
Suffering from hypothermia the man was brought to our NSRI rescue base and rewarmed and then we transported him home and no further assistance was required.
The swift response and the quick actions employed to get the man ashore safely is commended.
The eyewitness is commended for swiftly raising the alarm.
Pluto
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?
Treasure Devil
Fun South African Fact: The Lion, the cheetah and the wildebeest are three of the five fastest animals in the world and they all live in South Africa.