Sea rescuers help out at Vredehoek fires

The National Sea Rescue Institute’s Kommetjie crew lent a hand on Wednesday to firefighting efforts in Cape Town.

At the request of Enviro Wildfire Services just after midnight on Tuesday‚ the crew‚ whom‚ station commander Ian Klopper noted‚ are “also medics and trained in fire-fighting”‚ responded to Vredehoek to join Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and other emergency services to assist.

“Fire crews and emergency services were stretched along a belt of houses threatened by the fires and the NSRI Kommetjie crew were initially deployed to protect a house in Vredehoek and the house that they were tasked to protect was saved from burning‚” Klopper said.

“The crew were then redeployed to medically treat firemen‚ assist to evacuate residents and animals from homes and to assist in firefighting.”

The team was released at 7am when the fires had been brought under control.