After 13 rescues and a death - NSRI urges caution around water

Following at least 13 rescues and one death at sea‚ the NSRI has urged the public to be cautious around all water‚ coastal and inland‚ as well as at swimming pools over this festive season.

The following is a round-up of rescues the non-profit organisation‚ which has more than 1000 volunteers‚ has been involved in since December 23.

One dead

On the afternoon of Sunday 24 December‚ a 17-year-old man disappeared in surf at Bens on the Beach‚ at the Strand. The NSRI Gordon’s Bay sent a boat and swimmers to join the Strand Surf Lifesaving lifeguards‚ who had already initiated a search for the local youth.

The Western Cape government EMS‚ ER24‚ Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and their dive unit‚ a police dive unit‚ the Law Enforcement Marine Unit and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter also responded to the call.

The body of the teenager was found and recovered from the water. Police have opened an inquest docket.

13 rescues

1. On Sunday morning‚ the NSRI in Jeffreys Bay were patrolling the coastline when they noticed distress flares being shot off by two people on a jet-ski about 1.5 nautical miles off-shore of Paradise Beach. A father and son from Gauteng were rescued from their jet-ski‚ which had mechanical problems.
2. The NSRI was called out on Sunday afternoon to assist a 24-foot ski-boat with flat batteries about 11 nautical miles from Port Elizabeth harbour. A woman‚ three men and a teenager were brought to safety.
3. On Sunday at about 5pm the NSRI Shelly Beach crew went to the assistance of a boat that had capsized after a set of waves came through as they were launching. The three crewmen‚ experienced boaters from Johannesburg‚ were safely ashore.
4. On Saturday‚ 23 December‚ the NSRI Melkbosstrand went to the help of crew aboard a rubber-duck with motor mechanical failure off-shore of Silverstroomstrand.
5. Later that afternoon‚ the NSRI boat crew and lifeguards were called to assist a surfer in difficulty off-shore of Ou Skip‚ Van Riebeeks Strand. They found that two men had tried to assist a 16-year-old female surfer caught in rip currents but both men were also caught in rip currents and were being swept out to sea. All three were brought safely to the beach.
6. On Saturday morning‚ the NSRI Durban crew went to the rescue of a jet-skier in difficulty off-shore of Winkelspruit on the South Coast. Local lifeguards brought the man to safety and the jet-ski was towed to the shore.
7. At about 5pm on Saturday the Plettenberg Bay NSRI crew and Plettenberg Bay lifeguards launched a search for family members of a five-year-old girl found alone at Robberg 5 Beach. The girl was taken to a lifeguard tower for safe keeping. The family members were found at Solar Beach and were taken on a lifeguard quad bike to their daughter.
8. The NSRI on Saturday rescued two men on a 5m boat with motor mechanical failure off-shore of Glengariff‚ 15 nautical miles south of East London. Their boat was towed to East London.
9. On Saturday‚ the NSRI Simons Town duty crew were asked to assist two men on a rubber-duck below the Cape Point restaurant. They apparently collided with an object in the water which damaged the gearbox on both outboard motors. Ski-Boat Mobile‚ a local boat monitoring station‚ assisted with communications. While the NSRI headed towards the scene a local private boat began towing them towards Simons Town. They rendezvoused between Millers Point and Cape Point and the tow was transferred to the NSRI.
10. The NSRI Mykonos on Saturday at about 9am went to the rescue of crew on a 5.5m boat at Kraal Baai‚ Langebaan Lagoon‚ reporting one of their motors on fire. When they arrived the fire had been extinguished but the boat had to be towed Paaltjies.
11. That afternoon‚ NSRI Mykonos was called out to investigate reports of a kayak with two persons onboard overdue and last known to be in the vicinity of Schaapen Island. Family had begun to search the shoreline. The NSRI joined the search until they spotted the kayak and saw a ski-boat approach them and talk to the kaykers who appeared not to be in difficulty. The NSRI monitored them until
12. At about 9pm on Saturday‚ the NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Kommetjie prepared to rescue a 49-year-old fisherman suspected to be having a heart attack on the fishing boat Tamara about 30 nautical miles from Hout Bay and 22 nautical miles off-shore of Kommetjie. He was transferred from Tamara to the fishing vessel Hardline who had volunteered to bring the patient towards Hout Bay. The man was then said to be feeling better and Hardline then brought him to Hout Bay harbour to meet paramedics. On arrival he chose to drive himself to see his doctor. It was later confirmed he had had an angina attack.
13. On Saturday afternoon the NSRI Port Alfred rushed to West Beach where a suspected drowning was in progress. On arrival there was no sign of anyone in difficulty and it was confirmed that this was a false alarm with good intentions.