Rescuers have to be rescued after rubber duck capsizes

18 April 2017 - 10:54 By Dave Chambers
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Two vessels from NSRI Mykonos arrive at the incident to find everyone safe and not injured.
Two vessels from NSRI Mykonos arrive at the incident to find everyone safe and not injured.
Image: Megan Melidonis

If you have to capsize a mile off the coast‚ do it with two Sea Rescue coxswains in your crew.

That’s what happened to 77-year-old Doug Cleland from Camps Bay‚ whose rubber duck overturned on Monday off Jacobsbaai on the Cape west coast.

With him were Matthew and Megan Melidonis from Kirstenhof‚ National Sea Rescue Institute coxswains in Simon’s Town and Hout Bay‚ respectively.

NSRI Mykonos station commander Casper Frylink said Matthew‚ 30‚ was scuba diving when waves capsized the vessel.

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“Megan and Doug were able to climb onto the upturned hull and Megan used her cellphone to activate the NSRI’s RSA SafeTrx emergency phone application that is downloaded to her phone and to also make a call to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to raise the alarm and to inform that her husband was still underwater scuba diving‚” said Frylink.

Megan‚ 31‚ dived under the boat to recover the capsize kit and fired off a red distress flare in the direction of a nearby fishing vessel. Then she recovered the anchor and used it to stop the upturned boat drifting onto rocks.

“At that stage Matthew had surfaced from his scuba dive and he and Megan continued to set off flares at delayed intervals. (They) were noticed by campers at Trekoskraal who launched their recreational craft and came to assist.”

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Frylink said by the time two Mykonos NSRI vessels arrived‚ after a 20-mile voyage‚ the emergency was over.

“Matthew remained behind to assist to right the capsized boat while one of the private boats took Megan and Doug to shore.

“They are commended for having all safety measures and equipment at hand to initiate an immediate rescue response and the private boats from Jacobsbaai and Trekoskraal that responded are commended for going to their assistance.”

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