Surf-skier assisted and Yacht In Danger of Running Aground

On Tuesday 16 March at 13h42 NSRI Simonstown were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following a report of a surf-skier suspected to be in difficulty off-shore of Simonstown (between Simonstown harbour and Seaforth Restaurant).

Eye-witnesses were observing the surf-skier who appeared to be in difficulty approximately half a mile off-shore in gusting 30 knot South Easterly winds. The surf-skier was first observed lying down on his surf-ski and then being tipped off into the water.

NSRI Simonstown launched their rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III, a Navy harbour patrol and the Metro Red Cross AMS helicopter responded to assist.

Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown station commander, said that on arrival on-scene the surf-skier, 45 year old Justin Smit, from Simonstown, had abandoned his surf-ski and had swum ashore where he was assisted by Table Mountain National Park rangers to get ashore on rocks and he was treated for hypothermia by NSRI paramedics and released requiring no further assistance.

The surf-ski was recovered by the Navy Harbour Patrol boat off-shore of Glencairn.

The NSRI are appealing to surf-skiers and paddlers to carry the required safety equipment including a life-jacket, red distress flares, communications devices (a cell-phone or VHF radio) kept in water tight sleeves, a signalling mirror or CD disc and a referees whistle.

In another incident at 21h00 NSRI Hout Bay were activated following eye-witness reports of a yacht appearing to be in difficulty in the bay off-shore of Hout Bay beach.

NSRI Hout Bay launched their rescue craft MTU Nadine Gordimer and Albie Matthews and as the rescue boats were launching a Mayday distress emergency call was put out by the yacht which was now only 200 metres off the beach and being blown towards the beach quickly in gusting 45 knot winds.

Brad Geyser, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said that on arrival on-scene, in extremely difficult conditions, with the yacht now 20 metres off the beach, during low-tide, with less than 2 metres of water under the yacht’s hull, a tow-line was rigged and the yacht was pulled to deeper water and towed into the harbour.

The yacht, Iron Lady, registered to Dusseldorf, Germany, sailing from Germany to Cape Town, with skipper Michael Wnuk and 3 crewmembers, 2 males and a female, had arrived in Cape Town and got into difficulty in the strong winds while heading into Hout Bay.

Once safely berthed she required no further assistance.