Several boating accidents along SA’s coastline during the Christmas week prompted the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) to appeal to boaters and paddlers to use its emergency app which allows operations teams to track and monitor people out at sea.
NSRI teams had their hand full with incidents throughout the week.
“When you log on and enter your intended journey plan, the NSRI emergency operations centre duty controllers can watch over your progress on a computer screen while you are on the water.
“When you face an emergency, pressing a button on the app tells the NSRI and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre you have an emergency situation and gives us your exact position.
“Rescue resources are dispatched directly to that position,” said the NSRI.
Andre Fraser, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said a Mpumalanga father and son had to be rescued on Christmas Eve when their inflatable boat capsized at Hartenbos Beach.
“On arrival at the scene members of the public at the beach were assisting to get the craft righted in shallow surf after the boat washed ashore.”
Fraser said the youngster was helped by lifeguards while his father was taken aboard a private boat.
The two suffered minor injuries.
Juan Pretorius, NSRI Port Alfred station commander, said Cape Town local Adam Neill swam to the rescue of a 50-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman, both from Pretoria, after their boat capsized a few kilometres from the Kowie River Mouth.
In a separate incident also near the Kowie River Mouth, three people, including two Germans, were seriously injured when their boat was hit by a wave.
“On arrival at the scene the 50-year-old male skipper, from Port Alfred, and a 55-year-old male and 40-year-old female, from Germany, were treated for serious injuries. A 24-year-old female, from Port Alfred, was treated for minor injuries.
“They were transferred onto our sea rescue craft, brought to our base and taken into the care of paramedics.”
TimesLIVE
Boating accidents along SA coast mar festive season
Several boating accidents along SA’s coastline during the Christmas week prompted the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) to appeal to boaters and paddlers to use its emergency app which allows operations teams to track and monitor people out at sea.
NSRI teams had their hand full with incidents throughout the week.
“When you log on and enter your intended journey plan, the NSRI emergency operations centre duty controllers can watch over your progress on a computer screen while you are on the water.
“When you face an emergency, pressing a button on the app tells the NSRI and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre you have an emergency situation and gives us your exact position.
“Rescue resources are dispatched directly to that position,” said the NSRI.
Andre Fraser, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said a Mpumalanga father and son had to be rescued on Christmas Eve when their inflatable boat capsized at Hartenbos Beach.
“On arrival at the scene members of the public at the beach were assisting to get the craft righted in shallow surf after the boat washed ashore.”
Fraser said the youngster was helped by lifeguards while his father was taken aboard a private boat.
The two suffered minor injuries.
Juan Pretorius, NSRI Port Alfred station commander, said Cape Town local Adam Neill swam to the rescue of a 50-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman, both from Pretoria, after their boat capsized a few kilometres from the Kowie River Mouth.
In a separate incident also near the Kowie River Mouth, three people, including two Germans, were seriously injured when their boat was hit by a wave.
“On arrival at the scene the 50-year-old male skipper, from Port Alfred, and a 55-year-old male and 40-year-old female, from Germany, were treated for serious injuries. A 24-year-old female, from Port Alfred, was treated for minor injuries.
“They were transferred onto our sea rescue craft, brought to our base and taken into the care of paramedics.”
TimesLIVE