NSRI rescues vessel with 10 crew on board off Kalk Bay

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) had a busy few days, rescuing vessels in distress and assisting people reach the shore.

On Sunday morning, the NSRI rescued a fishing vessel which reported steering failure and limited emergency steering capabilities one nautical mile off the Kalk Bay Harbour.

NSRI's Simon’s Town station commander Darren Zimmerman said the duty crew were activated at 10:41am following a request for assistance from a local 12 metre fishing vessel, with 10 crew on-board.

They found the casualty crew safe and a towline was established.

“We towed the vessel to Kalk Bay Harbour,” Zimmerman said.

In another incident in Witbank on Saturday, the NSRI crew assisted with rescuing a sinking power boat off the Witbank Dam.

NSRI Witbank deputy station commander Francois du Randt said at 1:37pm, while its crew was conducting routine training at Witbank Dam, it received reports of a power boat appearing to be taking on water near the View Lodge on the dam.

“The public member reported that they had assisted three adult males out of the water but the vessel appeared to be sinking and they required assistance.”

The crew found that the casualty craft was already in the process of being taken ashore with the help of the member of the public.

“NSRI assisted to get the craft recovered with the assistance of a private 4X4 vehicle.”

He said the crew of three was not injured.

Also on Saturday but at Vaal Dam, the NSRI rescued eighth passengers whose boat washed up on the shore line close to the dam wall in rough winds and waves.

NSRI Vaal Dam station commander Jake Manten said at 4:44pm, its duty crew were alerted to this incident.

The NSRI found four adults and four children from Roodepoort and who were not injured.

“It appears that in rough weather and strong winds, causing high waves, they had drifted ashore where on reaching the shoreline their craft was swamped.”

In Gqeberha on Thursday, the NSRI crew evacuated an injured Russian crewman from a vessel close to Coega.

“At 11:45, Thursday, 14 October, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were activated to prepare to patient evacuate an injured Russian crewman from a bulk oil tanker motor vessel at anchor off-shore of Coega,” NSRI's Gqeberha duty coxswain Sean Lunnon said.

Lunnon said its sea rescue craft was launched, accompanied by an Eastern Cape government's emergency medical service rescue paramedic.

“On arrival at the vessel an NSRI rescue swimmer was transferred onto the vessel and the patient, in a stable condition, was secured into a safety harness and using a safety line he was transferred onto our sea rescue craft.

“In the care of the EMS rescue paramedic we brought the patient to our NSRI rescue base and he has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance for further medical care.”

The operation took just over three hours.

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