NSRI NEWS UPDATE: The NSRI have been BUSY: JBay, Breede, Mykonos, Tsitsikamma, Kleinbrak, Witsand

NSRI NEWS UPDATE: The NSRI have been BUSY: JBay, Breede, Mykonos, Tsitsikamma, Kleinbrak, WitsandFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NSRI NEWS UPDATE – STATION 37, Jeffreys Bay. STATION 15, Mossel Bay. STATION 33, WITSAND. STATION 4, Mykonos. STATION 36, Oyster Bay. STATION 46, Storms River. STATION 40, St Lucia. STATION 27, Gauteng. STATION 10, Simonstown.

NSRI NEWS UPDATE – National – Wednesday, 23 April. Incidents Tuesday, 22 April, and a busy Easter weekend for NSRI:

TUESDAY, 22 April:

JEFFREYS BAY:

Kristo Kritzinger, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station commander, said:

On Tuesday, 22 April, at 13h15, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a person stung by a Stingray while fishing (angling) at Paradise Beach, Jeffreys Bay.

The casualties friend had raised the alarm.

NSRI Jeffreys Bay crew responded while Gardmed ambulance services were activated.

The patient, a male, age 63, was found on the beach being treated by his friend, by an NSRI Jeffreys Bay trainee crewman, who happened to be nearby at the time, and by Good Samaritan bystanders.

The barb, still in the left forearm, and severe bleeding, was being managed by direct pressure using towels and clothing (that had been advised by the NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty controller with the advice not to try to remove the barb).

NSRI medics continued to manage the wound before Gardmed ambulance services arrived on the scene where the patient was taken into the care of paramedics and transported to hospital by Gardmed ambulance in a serious but stable condition.

The man, from Pretoria, is in the care of doctors and nurses in hospital and he is expected to make a full recovery.

KLEINBRAK RIVER MOUTH:

At 12h59, Tuesday, 22 April, the NSRI Mossel Bay duty phone was alerted by an eyewitness reporting a drowning in progress at Klein Brak River Mouth.

A child appeared to be caught in rip currents.

At 13h01 NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew, Police and the emergency services were activated when a second eyewitness phoned reporting that the child’s mom had entered the water with the NSRI pink rescue buoy that is stationed at Klein Brak River Mouth Beach.

At 13h03 NSRI and responding resources were notified by eyewitnesses that the mom and the child, a male age 12, were safely out of the water and there appeared to be no injuries.

The mom had used the pink rescue buoy to rescue her child. After noticing her child, who is a good swimmer, in the rip, she grabbed the pink rescue buoy, waded into the water to chest deep, threw her son the buoy, and he used the buoy for floatation to swim free of the currents and to the beach – it was all over in 2 minutes.

As a precaution NSRI rescue swimmers continued to respond arriving at the scene where they confirmed that all were safe, there were no injuries and responding resources were stood down.

The swift rescue by the mom using an NSRI pink rescue buoy has been commended.

The family, on holiday from Pretoria, has respectfully requested privacy.

EASTER WEEKEND:

WITSAND:

Rian Basson, NSRI Witsand duty coxswain, said:

On Friday, 18 April, at 16h22, NSRI Witsand duty crew were activated to assist a craft offshore of the Breede River Mouth, with a family onboard, from Worcester, requiring assistance to get in through the Breede River Mouth.

The dad, age 44, the mom, age 43, and their 2 children, ages 11 and 8, a male and a female, had launched on their boat earlier to go through the river mouth to explore offshore of Witsand but on returning towards Witsand, during the afternoon sun glare, the dad reported that he was having some difficulty to find a safe pathway to come into the river mouth past the sand bar because of the sun glare, to get back into the Breede River.

They had then called NSRI for assistance.

The NSRI Witsand rescue craft JetRIB was launched and on arrival at the family, finding them safe on their boat offshore, our NSRI rescue craft guided them into the river mouth without incident and they required no further assistance.

They are commended for requesting NSRI’s assistance under the circumstances.

LANGEBAAN, MYKONOS and CHURCH HAVEN:

Grant Skinner, NSRI Mykonos duty controller, said:

On Friday, 18 April, at 17h50, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were alerted by an eyewitness concerned about a RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) moored at Shark Bay with no persons onboard – 100 meters offshore of Shark Bay Beach.

NSRI dispatched a crewman to investigate where it was confirmed that the same boat is often seen moored in that area and most likely belongs to a houseboat owner at Kraal Bay who most likely uses the boat as a utility boat.

The following morning that boat was no longer moored there and we believe this to be the good intentions of the eyewitness showing concern for what looked unusual.

Then at 18h50 NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated to assist at the Mykonos Marina where a 7 meter pleasure craft, returning to the marina from a days pleasure cruise was listing and taking on water through a damaged shaft seal – suspected to have been damaged after possibly hitting an object or by a sand bank in the water during their return to Mykonos Marina.

A local Good Samaritan, at Mykonos Marina, noticing the vessel taking on water, had raised the alarm, calling on an NSRI Mykonos crewman who lives on a yacht in the marina.

On NSRI Mykonos crew arriving on the scene the owner of the vessel, his friends, members of Mykonos Marina and the boatyard manager were already pumping water from the vessel.

NSRI crew assisted with water pumps to continue to pump water from the vessel.

A Club Mykonos work boat towed the casualty vessel to the Mykonos Marina slipway cradle, with NSRI crew, the owner, friends of the owner, and with the boat yard manager continuing to pump water in successful efforts to save the pleasure motor boat from sinking.

The boat was lifted onto the cradle and no further assistance was required.

We believe repairs were made the following day.

On Saturday, at 13h30, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following reports of a wave rider boat in distress in the surf zone offshore of Marcs Beach.

Eyewitnesses reported the craft appearing to be drifting towards the shore in distress in the surf zone.

NSRI Mykonos crew responded while a private charter jet-ski and the Club Mykonos working boat launched to assist.

On NSRI crew arriving on the scene the casualty boat, that had run aground, and semi submerged, suspected to be from the “bung” not being secured, causing an ingress of water, was under tow by the Club Mykonos working boat, assisted by the charter jet-ski.

At least three crew of the casualty boat had, we believe, swum or waded ashore, and they were safe, not injured, and walking towards Club Mykonos Marina requiring no assistance.

The casualty boat was recovered at the Marina without incident and no further assistance was required.

On Sunday, at 18h08, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following reports from an eyewitness who was observing a Laser sailing craft capsized offshore of Church Haven with one person onboard.

A second Laser sailing vessel, with one sailor onboard, appeared to be trying to help. But in fading light the eyewitness grew concerned and raised the alarm.

While NSRI crew responded to the NSRI Mykonos station 4 rescue base to prepare to launch rescue craft the eyewitness reported that the ‘second’ Laser sailing craft had sailed to shore where that skipper appeared to then launch a small motor boat and he had appeared to go back to the scene where the casualty Laser sailing craft was righted by the 2 men and had sailed to shore – escorted by the motor boat – and they both appeared to be safe and no longer in need of any assistance.

NSRI Mykonos crew stood down after thanking the eyewitness for being vigilant and having good intentions.

On Monday, 21 April, at 13h30, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a jet-ski appearing to be adrift and drifting towards Saldanha Bay Harbour with one person onboard appearing to be in difficulties.

While NSRI crew responded to the NSRI Mykonos station 4 rescue base to prepare to launch rescue craft the eyewitness reported that, what appeared to be a foreigner, on a second jet-ski had launched to go to assist and he had towed the casualty jet-ski safely to shore without incident and no further assistance was required.

TSITIKAMMA:

Lodewyk van Rensburg, NSRI Oyster Bay station commander, said:

On Saturday, 19 April, at 18h22, NSRI Oyster Bay and NSRI Storms River, in cooperation with SANParks (SA National Parks) Tsitsikamma rangers, were activated following reports of a 61 year old female, from Mossel Bay, injured on the Otter hiking trail, near to The Waterfall (in the vicinity of The Caves) – their hiking party were attempting to slowly make their way towards the Storms River parking area, still quite some distance over difficult terrain and they required medical assistance and support in their efforts to get the injured lady to safety.

Considerations were made to launch an NSRI rescue craft from either NSRI Storms River or from NSRI Oyster Bay, while NSRI crew, from both NSRI rescue stations, SANParks rangers and Relay ambulance services responded and hiked to rendezvous with the hiking party.

On arrival on the scene medical attention was administered to the lady. She was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher.
In night conditions and over difficult terrain the casualty, stretcher bound, and their hiking party, were assisted back to the parking area in a challenging operation taking just over 2 hours.

During the operation additional supplies and drinking water were hiked by rescue crew to the rendezvous with rescue operation that was gradually making their way towards the Storms River parking area.

The operation completed at 20h11 with the injured lady opting to be seen to by a doctor privately and no further assistance was required.

On Sunday, 20 April, at 12h21, NSRI Oyster Bay and NSRI Storms River, in cooperation with SANParks (SA National Parks) Tsitsikamma rangers, were activated following reports of a male hiker injured in a fall at Guano Cave, on the Otter Trail, on the shoreline, requiring urgent medical assistance for a serious injury sustained in the fall.

NSRI Storms River, NSRI Oyster Bay, SANParks rangers and Relay ambulance services responded and hiked to rendezvous with the hiking party at the scene where medical attention was administered to the patient, age 54, a German tourist.

In a serious but stable condition it was decided to launch the NSRI Storms River rescue craft Spirit of Sam.

On the NSRI rescue craft arriving on the scene the patient was loaded onto the rescue craft and transported to Storms River Mouth where further medical attention was provided by paramedics.

The patient opted to go to doctors for sutures to his injuries privately and no further assistance was required.

The operation completed at 15h25.

ST LUCIA:

Jan Hoffman, NSRI St Lucia station commander, said:

At 07h50, Sunday, 20 April, NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated following a vessel witnessed getting into difficulty in the surf zone during challenging launch conditions in rough sea surf from the St Lucia boat launch site.

NSRI St Lucia duty crew were at the beach at the time, standing-by during the busy Easter weekend, and launched the NSRI rescue craft JetRIB as a precaution.

The casualty boat, with 2 crew onboard, both adult males, from Middleburg, at that stage capsized in the surf zone.

The NSRI rescue craft reached them and after negotiating incoming waves one man was rescued and brought safely to shore. He was dropped off near to the shoreline with an NSRI rescue swimmer and he was swum safely to shore in the care of the NSRI rescue swimmer.

The rescue craft then reached the second male casualty who was rescued, after the rescue craft again negotiated the incoming waves to reach the casualty, onto the rescue craft and he was brought safely to shore.

NSRI medics on the shoreline assessed both men, who were exhausted and in shock, but both were declared fit and they required no medical attention.

Their casualty craft was recovered from the surf without incident.

SIMONS TOWN:

On Saturday afternoon, 19 April, NSRI Simons Town’s Darren Zimmerman, on his private sailing yacht, offshore of Murdoch Valley, Simonstown, sailing at sea with himself and a friend (a deck hand) onboard, raised the alarm following the bilge pump alarm sounding and Darren discovering below decks that his propellor shaft appeared to have fallen out leaving a gaping hole aft of the sailing yacht causing a rapid ingress of water.

Darren immediately raised the alarm before attempting to plug the water ingress, gradually decreasing the inflow of water and beginning to pump water from his (now) casualty sailing vessel, assisted by his fellow crew mate.

NSRI Simon’s Town’s rescue craft, the Donna Nicholas and Jack&Irene, at sea at the time and by chance nearby, responded.

On the NSRI rescue craft arrival on the scene 2 NSRI crew were transferred onto Darren’s sailing yacht to assist while a towline was rigged and the casualty sailing vessel was towed safely to her marina, at Simons Town Harbour, without incident and no further assistance was required.

This was a close call Darren admits with relief. A stark reminder that at sea safety should always remain the top priority and all seafarers constant preparedness for a sudden emergency should be expected.

The cause of the propellor shaft disappearing is unknown and is being investigated while Darren is making repairs to his yacht.

Darren has commended his fellow NSRI volunteers and his crew mate for their swift response and assistance.

Sharon Crowthar, NSRI Simonstown duty coxswain, said:

At 12h44, Sunday, 20 April, NSRI Simonstown duty crew were activated following reports from NSRI Simons Town station commander, Simon McDonnell, who was on the scene on his private boat, a RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat), TORA, offshore of Long Beach, Simons Town, assisting a sailing yacht experiencing difficulties close to the beach.

Simon had raised the alarm calling the NSRI Simons Town duty phone.

As a precaution, NSRI Simons Town duty crew responded to the NSRI Simons Town station 10 rescue base where the rescue craft Jack&Irene was launched.

Our station commander had by that stage rafted his private boat TORA alongside the sailing yacht and was attempting to hold her offshore but in the surf zone they were drifting closer to the beach before Simon managed to get the bow of the casualty sailing yacht facing into the wind, gradually steering her out through the surf zone.

Our NSRI rescue craft reached them and rafted alongside the casualty sailing yacht and was able to safely bring the casualty sailing yacht to her mooring without incident.

Our station commander has been commended for using his private boat to prevent the casualty sailing yacht from running aground.

GAUTENG:

Gerhard Potgieter, NSRI Gauteng station commander, said:

At 18h55, Saturday, 19 April, NSRI Gauteng (Station 27) crew were activated and responded to assist the emergency services – GEMS (Gauteng Emergency Services), SARZA (Search and Rescue South Africa), the SA Police Services, the City of Ekurhuleni (COJ) Fire and Rescue Services, and supporting security services and volunteer services, to evacuate patients at the Tembisa Hospital fire.

NSRI commends the swift response of all emergency services and supporting services that assisted and coordinated in the operation where we believe no injuries or fatalities were reported.

At 22h55 NSRI Gauteng returned to base.

JEFFREYS BAY:

Tristan Pillay, NSRI Jeffreys Bay coxswain, said:

At 10h17, Saturday, 19 April, NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a jet-ski in difficulty, with motor failure, with 2 crew onboard, offshore of the water tower, offshore of Paradise Beach, Jeffreys Bay.

Our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Jeffreys Bay station 37 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft JetRIB was launched with 3 crew onboard.

On arrival on the scene the 2 casualty crew, males, from the Northern Cape, were found safe and not injured.

A towline was rigged to their jet-ski and they were towed by NSRI to the Dolphin Beach launch site without incident where once safely ashore NSRI assisted to recover their craft and no further assistance was required.

-ENDS-

About the NSRI:
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is a registered non-profit organisation that is committed to drowning prevention and focused on saving lives, changing lives and creating futures for those threatened by drowning in South Africa.
We are unique in South Africa as the only non-profit organisation focusing exclusively on safeguarding lives and livelihoods in South African waters through education, prevention, and rescue operations. We envision a nation where drowning incidents are minimised, ensuring the safety of all.
The NSRI strives to innovate, constantly evolve, and extend our water safety initiatives through empowerment and visibility. Our volunteers are on call 24/7 and are reliant on donations and sponsorships.

Please visit www.nsri.org.za for more information.
NSRI EMERGENCY: 087 094 9774

NSRI NEWS UPDATE RELEASED BY

Craig Lambinon
NSRI COMMUNICATIONS

Email: communications@searescue.org.za | Cell: +27 (0) 82 380 3800 | nsri.org.za

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