St Francis
Sara Smith, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander reports:
At 10h05, Wednesday, 26th October, NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to investigate eye-witness reports of a whale suspected to be beaching or in difficulties off-shore of Jeffreys Bay.
We launched the Sea Rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II and on arrival on the scene confirmed that a whale carcass was floating off-shore. Save & Exit
To prevent the carcass from washing ashore TNPA have arranged a boat that will tow the whale carcass out to sea.
SHELLY BEACH:
Jerry Jackson, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said:
At 10h50, Wednesday, 26th October, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated following a request for assistance made to the Shelly Beach control from the fishing vessel Lucky Sands reporting one of her 2 motors suffering motor failure.
We launched our sea rescue craft Spirit of Dawn and met up with them on the backline, off-shore of Shelly Beach, and transferred 4 of her crew onto our sea rescue craft and brought them to shore and returning to fetch a further 4 crew and they were also brought ashore aboard our sea rescue craft.
The skipper and one crewman remained on the casualty boat and they were able to bring her in on one motor safely without incident and no further assistance was required.
NSRI Shelly Beach sea rescue craft Spirit of Dawn on the slip way
KNYSNA:
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said:
At 11h35, Wednesday, 26th October, we responded aboard our sea rescue craft Colorpress rescuer following a request for assistance from 2 local men on their 18 foot local boat Sea Donkey reporting motor failure from suspected water contaminated fuel off-shore of Buffalo Bay, East of Walker Point.
On arrival on the scene a tow-line was rigged and we towed them to the Knysna Angling Club without incident and no further assistance was required.
CAMPS BAY:
At 16h46, Wednesday, 26th October, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following eye-witness reports of a man being swept out to sea at Camps Bay Beach.
Laila Saven, of Eco Waste Group, a local who was at the beach at the time and who is involved in a Unilever sponsored program training the Ola Ice Cream vendors along the Atlantic Sea Board (they are trained in community awareness and carry basic first aid kits and are St John’s First Aid trained and received training by NSRI’s WaterWise program), contacted NSRI’s Andrew Ingram directly and this assisted by giving responding resources a regular update of the events as they unfolded.
It appears that a local adult man, aged in his 20’s, was swept out to sea by rip currents. Another local adult man, aged in his 20’s, went into the water to assist but he also got into difficulties. Laila was able to summons a body boarder who launched into the surf and using his floating body board he was able to rescue the man who originally got into difficulty. We believe that the second man made it out of the surf unassisted. Bystanders waded in to help the men out of the water.
The two men were treated on the scene by Community Medics. They both suffered non-fatal drowning symptoms and exhaustion. Following medical treatment on the beach they both chose not to be transported to hospital and Community Medics advised them and their families to remain aware for secondary drowning symptoms.
NSRI commend the bystanders who assisted today at Camps Bay Beach. Laila and the body boarder (unidentified) and the members of the public who waded into the surf to assist.
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