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NSRI News #searescue

NSRI News: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NSRI – STATION 5, Durban. STATION 9, Gordons Bay. STATION 42, Kleinmond. STATION 10, Simonstown. STATION 6, Gqeberha.

NSRI – National – Saturday, 15 March. A medical evacuation operation and preparedness for flooding – Durban. A paddler rescued – Pringle Bay. A paddler rescued – Simonstown. A medical evacuation off a ship – Gqeberha:

NSRI News DURBAN:

Jacques Kruger, NSRI Durban duty coxswain, said:

On Thursday, 13 March, NSRI Durban duty crew were alerted by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) to prepare for a medical evacuation of a patient, a female age 71, suffering a medical condition onboard a cruise liner, due to arrive offshore of the Port of Durban on Friday.

On Friday, at midday, NSRI Durban duty crew and Red Line ambulance services convened at the NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Alick Rennie was launched.

We rendezvoused with the vessel offshore of the Port of Durban.

Our NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew and a Red Line rescue paramedic were transferred onto the vessel.

The patient, in the care of the ships medical staff, was found to be in a stable condition and it was decided to let the ship enter the Port of Durban where the patient could be taken into the care of Red Line paramedics once berthed in Port.

No further assistance was required and later the ship entered the Port of Durban and the patient was transported to hospital by Red Line ambulance for further medical treatment where the patient is recovering.

NSRI Durban duty controllers, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Durban Port Control, Port Health Authorities, A WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Red Line ambulance services and Police Sea Borderline Control, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), in the logistics and coordination of this operation.

On Thursday evening, 12 March, NSRI Durban and NSRI Umhlanga joined the Police and the emergency services preparing for the heavy rainfall that was forecast (on Tuesday night) by SAWS (South African Weather services) with heavy rainfalls anticipated for Thursday night.

A JOCC (Joint Operations Command Centre), established by DRM (Disaster Risk Management) and local Municipal authorities, coordinated emergency response activations to emergency incidents during Thursday nights heavy downpour.

NSRI rescue swimmers and NSRI crew, based in their communities, prepared to assist locally while NSRI rescue swimmers and NSRI crew stood by at the NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base prepared to respond to emergencies in cooperation with Police and the emergency services.

NSRI are aware of a number of incidents that were attended to by response teams but NSRI are not aware of any fatalities or serious injuries.

NSRI commend the vast community preparedness and support, and the cooperation between the emergency services, during the heavy rainfall.

By around 01h00 on Friday morning the worst of the heavy rainfalls subsided and NSRI crew returned to their homes.

We are appealing to the public to not cross over low lying bridges compromised by flood waters and do not try to cross through flooded motorways or rivers under flooding conditions during heavy rainfall and flash flooding.

NSRI News PRINGLE BAY:

Roan Strydom, NSRI Gordons Bay duty coxswain, said:

At 12h48, Wednesday, 12 March, NSRI Kleinmond and NSRI Gordons Bay duty crews were alerted following a call from an NSRI coast watcher at Pringle Bay reporting to be witnessing a paddler appearing to be in distress offshore of Pringle Bay.

Within minutes additional multiple phone calls raising the alarm were being received by NSRI reporting the man to be struggling on a paddle craft offshore of Pringle Bay and being blown further out to sea and now in obvious distress.

NSRI Kleinmond duty crew responded to the NSRI Kleinmond station 42 rescue base where they dispatched their NSRI rescue vehicle, accompanied by NSRI rescue swimmers, while NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew responded to our NSRI Gordons Bay station 9 rescue base where we dispatched our NSRI rescue vehicle, accompanied by NSRI rescue swimmers, and our NSRI rescue craft, Spirit of Surfski 5, was launched.

NSRI Kleinmond and NSRI Gordons Bay rescue vehicles arrived at the NSRI coast watchers house, in Pringle Bay, where NSRI crew observed visuals of the paddler in distress.

The NSRI craft approaching offshore of Pringle Bay from the Gordons Bay side were directed towards the casualty and within minutes of arriving in the area, in 30 knot gusting winds, the man was located and rescued onto the rescue craft.

Treatment for hypothermia to the German male tourist was commenced.

The casualties paddle craft was recovered.

Initially the plan was to take him ashore at Pringle Bay but we opted to keep him in the care of our NSRI medics onboard our rescue boat and reassess his medical condition at our NSRI rescue base.

We brought him to our NSRI rescue base at Gordons Bay harbour where following medical treatment, in good condition and in good spirits, the man was released from our care and collected by a friend.

NSRI are appealing to boaters, paddlers and sailors to download and use the free NSRI SafeTrx smart phone application – www.nsri.org.za SAFETRX.

The NSRI coast watchers are commended for their assistance in this incident – their vigilance contributed to saving the life of the man.

NSRI News SIMONSTOWN:

Sharon Crowther, NSRI Simonstown duty coxswain, said:

At 17h33, Tuesday, 11 March, NSRI Simonstown duty crew were activated following an NSRI SafeTrx emergency alert intercepted by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), from a man visiting South Africa from Dubai, in distress on a surf-ski North of Roman Rock Lighthouse, False Bay.

A local Good Samaritan paddler, on a surf-ski, taking part in the same downwind paddle, from Millers Point to Fish Hoek, also activated his NSRI SafeTrx emergency alert, which was also intercepted by NSRI EOC, reporting that he had come across the casualty paddler and reporting that the casualty paddler was in distress and in the water after capsizing and that the casualty had been separated from his surf-ski North of Roman Rock Lighthouse.

The NSRI SafeTrx position showed the casualty to be drifting in the direction of the Glen Beach quarry area.

The local Good Samaritan surf-skier had tried to catch up to the drifting casualties surf-ski, in attempts to return the craft to the casualty man who was drifting in the water, but with the attempts being unsuccessful in the strong winds, after activating his NSRI SafeTrx emergency to also raise the alarm, he was forced to continue on the down wind paddle for his own safety.

Our NSRI Simonstown duty crew responded to our NSRI Simonstown station 10 rescue base while NSRI Simonstown rescue swimmers and CMR (Cape Medical Response) responded to Whale Watchers at Glencairn.

By that stage the local Good Samaritan paddler, who had utilised his NSRI SafeTrx emergency alert, had been forced to continue on paddling for his own safety.

A second Good Samaritan paddler who had also come across the casualty man drifting in the water had tried to assist, but in the heavy sea conditions he was also forced to continue on the down wind paddle for his own safety. He had also activated his NSRI SafeTrx emergency alert to raise the alarm.

The 2 Good Samaritan paddlers are commended for their efforts in trying conditions.

The casualty man remained adrift in the water continuing to display a SafeTrx emergency position that was being monitored by NSRI EOC and by NSRI Simonstown duty controllers.

NSRI coast watchers in the area were alerted to get visuals of the casualty. It was a race against time in the fading light.

The NSRI Simonstown rescue craft Donna Nicholas was launched – also displaying the NSRI SafeTrx position of the casualty on the rescue craft onboard console.

NSRI rescue swimmers and CMR paramedics, arriving at Glencairn, obtained visuals of the casualty adrift in the water offshore of Glencairn.

Concerns were that the man may run aground on the rocky shoreline on the Fish Hoek side of Glencairn.

NSRI rescue swimmers prepared to enter the water to assist while the NSRI rescue craft responded towards the scene.

On the NSRI rescue craft arriving on the scene the casualty man was rescued onto the rescue craft where medical treatment for hypothermia commenced.

A CMR ambulance was dispatched to the NSRI Simonstown rescue base.

The patient was brought safely to the NSRI Simonstown rescue base where CMR paramedics continued with medical treatment for hypothermia.

NSRI Simonstown were then called by the CoCT (City of Cape Town) Fish Hoek lifeguards, at Fish Hoek Lifesaving Club, reporting that the casualty surf-ski had run aground on Fish Hoek Beach and the lifeguards had recovered the craft from shallow surf.

Following medical treatment and rewarming the man, in good condition and good spirits, was released and collected at our NSRI Simonstown rescue base by friends and they collected his surfski at Fish Hoek Life Saving Club.

NSRI reiterates the value of the free NSRI SafeTrx smart phone application that contributed to saving the life of the man in this successful rescue operation.

NSRI are appealing to paddlers, boaters and sailors, to download and always use the free NSRI SafeTrx smartphone application (available on our web page www.nsri.org.za) when launching into water.

GQEBERHA:

Kevin Warren, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said:

On Saturday, 8 March, at 05h22, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew launched the NSRI Gqeberha rescue craft Rescue 6, accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic, and rendezvoused with a bulk carrier motor vessel offshore of the Port of Port Elizabeth, in Algoa Bay, to medically evacuate a 31 year old Chinese seaman suffering a medical complaint.

On arrival at the vessel an NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crewman was transferred onto the motor vessel and the patient, in a stable condition, walking wounded, was transferred onto our rescue craft and brought safely to our NSRI Gqeberha station 6 rescue base in the care of the EMS rescue paramedic.

The patient was transported to hospital in a stable condition by EMS ambulance for further medical care.

NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Port Elizabeth Port Control, Port Health Authorities, A WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, EC Government Health EMS Metro Control and Police Sea Borderline Control, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), in the logistics and coordination of this medical evacuation operation.

-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 and NSRI News.
NSRI EMERGENCY: 087 094 9774

RELEASED BY

Craig Lambinon
NSRI COMMUNICATIONS

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

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