Shelly Beach, KZN-Natal South Coast:
On Friday, 29 March, NSRI Shelly Beach volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated at noon to assist the Dive Charter Boat Aqua Planet which after going over a wave while launching to go to sea a 29 year old Brazilian female on board had hurt her back when the boat went over the wave.
Mark Harlen, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said that the NSRI rescue craft Caltex Challenger was dispatched and the lady was immobilised on-scene, behind the breaker line, just off Shelly Beach, and she was brought to Shelly Beach on our sea rescue craft and handed into the care of Medivac ambulance services paramedics who took her to hospital in a stable condition in a Medivac ambulance.
Then just after 1 pm our sea rescue duty crew responded to the same area to assist African Dive Adventures dive charter boat that sustained failure to one motor coming back from a charter dive, said Mark. We took 5 people off their boat to lighten the load and they came in safely and beached and we brought the 5 passengers in on our sea rescue craft.
Then at 14.35 pm our sea rescue duty crew responded to the same area to assist the fishing boat Wild Thing also experiencing motor failure and our sea rescue craft Caltex Endeavor towed them safely to shore, said Mark.
Gordons Bay, Cape Town:
On Saturday afternoon (30 March) NSRI Gordons Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded to Strand Beach following reports of a paddler overdue and missing.
In winds gusting to 50 knots NSRI Strandfontein were also alerted while NSRI Gordons Bay dispatched a sea rescue craft but shortly after being called-out the lifeguards at Strand Surf Lifesaving confirmed that the paddler had come ashore safely and both sea rescue stations were stood down no longer required.
Durban – KZN–Natal:
On Saturday, 30 March, at 7.36 pm NSRI Durban volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of two people fallen out of a canoe in the harbor in the Port of Durban.
Prior to arriving on-scene the Transnet National Ports Authority confirmed that both people had been picked up by a private boat and that they were safe, said Clifford Ireland, NSRI Durban station commander.
Our NSRI duty crew stood down as we were no longer required and we obtained no details of the two people who were reportedly not injured, said Clifford.
Port Edward, KZN-Natal South Coast:
On Sunday, 31 March, NSRI Port Edward volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded to the Umtamvuna River to assist Police.
We were called at 2.30 am by the Police to assist a group of locals to get across the river which was in flood, said Alan Stilwell, NSRI Port Edward duty controller.
On arrival on-scene we found the river levels to be subsiding and we waited until the river levels subsided sufficiently and then walked the group across the river.
Than at 5 am we responded to the same river to assist Police who reported that a man was suspected of being in difficulty in the river but on arrival on-scene it was found to be a false alarm with good intentions said Alan.
Then at 7.30 am we responded to reports of a person swept off the bridge at the Tongazi River but on arrival on-scene that was also found to be a false alarm with good intentions.
Our NSRI crew then stayed on the bridge with the Police until 11 am as a precautionary measure, assisting people to cross the bridge on the swollen river, until the water subsided sufficiently and the bridge was safe to cross and we then departed to return to base, said Alan.
Richards Bay – Northern KZN-Natal:
At 16h08 (Sunday, 31 March) NSRI Richards Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded to the Amatikulu River, 70 kilometers South of Richards Bay, towing our sea rescue craft Rotary Ann, following reports from Netcare 911 ambulance services that they were responding to reports of a drowning at the river.
“On arrival on-scene paramedics treated a man for near drowning symptoms and our NSRI sea rescue craft ferried 3 local males across the river who had swum to the other side of the river but could not get back through the swollen river, said Cornel du Toit, NSRI Richards Bay station commander.
The man treated by paramedics for near drowning symptoms had gotten into difficulties while swimming across the river but he chose not to go to hospital following treatment on-scene, said Cornel.
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