Injured man airlifted at Noordhoek, four rescued at Plett

 Noordhoek

A 27 year- old Newlands man was airlifted to a Cape Town hospital this morning after being injured.  It is suspected he incurred a spinal injury while surfing.

Tom Coetzee, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said at 11.42 this morning, 16 February, NSRI Kommetjie and CMR (Cape Medical Response) responded to Dunes, a surfing spot on Noordhoek Beach in the vicinity of the Kakapo wreck following reports of a surfer injured while surfing.

On arrival on-scene the surfer, was found on the beach. It appears he may have aggravated a previous spinal injury but this was not confirmed.

“The patient was stabilised and full spinal immobilisation was applied as a precautionary measure by NSRI and CMR paramedics.”

A Base 4 Aeromedical Services helicopter was dispatched and the patient was airlifted to hospital in a serious but stable condition for further medical assessment and treatment. Doctors later reported he suffered a compression fracture of the cervical spine.

 

Plettenberg Bay

In Plettenberg Bay at the Kerubooms River also today a rigid inflatable boat, with 4 people on board, a young girl and three men, all locals, capsized in the Keurbooms River Mouth at 6.30 am.

Deon Truter, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of the capsized boat. “Almost all of our  volunteer sea rescue crew were camping on the Keurbooms River banks at the time, on stand-by preparing to assist in a fishing competition today.

“They immediately launched their private boats and responded, arriving only minutes after the boat capsized.  Finding all four casualties hanging on to the upturned hull of their boat they rescued them and recovered the boat.

“Our NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew had already launched our sea rescue craft Sally Joan and our Discovery rescue runner from our sea rescue base. On arrival on-scene   the crew took the four casualties on board and brought them to our sea rescue base.

“The girl in her late teens was taken to hospital by her father as a precautionary measure and she was released following treatment for shock. The three young men, in their late teens and early twenties, were uninjured.”

Truter adds they were heading out to sea in the boat go fishing at the time of the capsizing. They were not participating in the fishing competition.

(edited)

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