NSRI Table Bay, NSRI Bakoven, the Metro Ambulance and Rescue Services and the Metro Red Cross AMS helicopter were activated on Wednesday, 26 May, 2010 at 17h45 following an eye-witness report of a paddler in difficulty off-shore of the Mouille Point Lighthouse.

A Johannesburg man’s surf-ski had broken in half after being hit by a wave about 500 metres off-shore and three fellow paddlers were assisting him to get ashore by paddling for the shoreline with the casualty hanging onto the back of one of the surf-ski’s.

The casualty is Derek Hompes, he was paddling with his friend from Cape Town, Fred Creswell and two fellow paddlers, who were paddling nearby to the incident at the time, a man known only as Peter and a Barry Meiring, who also assisted in the rescue after they noticed the casualty in distress.

When the NSRI arrived on-scene they were all already safely out of the water and despite a very mild case of hypothermia the casualty required no medical assistance. They were all wearing life-jackets, thermal clothing suited to the conditions and they had safety equipment.

The surf-ski remained at sea, in half, and wash up along the shoreline at Mouille Point this morning and was recovered by the paddlers who had gone to look for it this morning.

The NSRI commend the eye-witness, Vicky Malliaris, for keeping the responding NSRI rescuers updated on the casualties progress and of the situation as it unfolded and our thanks are also extended to her friend Jules who then assisted (drove) the casualty to get back to his vehicle at the Oceana Power Boat Club and who then returned to the scene to direct the NSRI to the casualties whereabouts.

NSRI SAFETY TIPS:

The NSRI are urging people living along the coastline or visiting the coast to know their nearest Sea Rescue Emergency Number.

The NSRI are urging paddlers to always paddle in groups of (minimum) three paddlers.

Anyone launching any kind of craft to go to sea (or on inland waters) should wear the correct brightly coloured thermal gear, suited to the conditions expected. Make sure your craft has bright reflective stickers pasted on. Make sure your craft has your name and two alternative contactable phone numbers (one number for a responsible friend or family member) stencilled on your craft.

Always carry safety equipment: Life-jacket worn at all times on water; a referees whistle; red distress flares; a signalling mirror or CD disc; communications – a vhf radio or cellphone, batteries fully charged, kept in water tight plastic sleeves; a water proof torch.

Always let a responsible person know your time of departure, your exact route, your time of return. Stick to your route and let the responsible person know of your safe return.

Make sure you have your nearest Sea Rescue Emergency number programmed in your phone and make certain that the “responsible person” has the Sea Rescue Emergency number programmed in their phone.

If you expect to be away for an extended period then you should “check-in” with the responsible person in pre-designated regular timings.

If you are overdue then the responsible person should be encouraged to not hesitate to contact the NSRI with the concern and rather allow us the opportunity to investigate the report thoroughly to ensure your safety. No one will be disappointed if you are found to still be safe!

We are experiencing Spring Tide for the next few days bringing higher than normal high tide and lower than normal low tide and stronger than normal rip-currents.

It is important that anyone going to sea (or on inland waters) on any craft to ensure these vital safety precautions but also know the expected weather, tides and conditions that may be expected.

Always be prepared for the worst before setting out.

Anyone reporting a sea rescue emergency should give their name and a contactable phone number and be prepared to be called by a host of responding rescue authorities immediately (i.e. stay in contactable range so that responding rescuers can obtain further information and more detailed information as the search and rescue operation unfolds). As the situation changes it is extremely helpful for the responding rescuers to be kept abreast of the situation.

Give the exact nature and the exact “address” of the emergency, take note of landmarks and observe as much detail as possible – everything will be of great help to the rescuers if a full-scale search extends into the dark hours.

Casualties in difficulty at sea should stay with their floating craft at all costs but also be prepared to use your emergency equipment. The NSRI advise people going to sea to practice for an emergency in a swimming pool (in a safe environment) before launching. You don’t want to have to read the instructions for your safety equipment for the first time in a real emergency. You don’t want to try to use your safety equipment for the first time in a real emergency.

In choppy and rough seas, half submerged in sea water, with your adrenalin pumping – using your emergency equipment should be well rehearsed and second nature!

Red distress flares should be used in the following sequence: Fire off one red distress flare and five minutes later a second red distress flare. Then fire off a red distress flare 30 minutes later and then hourly. It is best to save two red distress flares until you see another craft nearby and to use them only then.

On Monday 1 March at 18h08 NSRI Kommetjie, NSRI Hout Bay, NSRI Bakoven and the Metro Red Cross AMS helicopter were activated following reports of a small yacht being swept out to sea between Kommetjie and Hout Bay and appearing to be in difficulty in gusting 45 knot winds.

During the search the Metro Red Cross AMS helicopter located the yacht 5 nautical miles off-shore of Llandudno but they were under motor power and heading towards Port in Cape Town.

Ian Ruthven, NSRI Hout Bay duty coxswain, said that their progress was monitored until they were safe in port.

It is believed they sustained motor failure to their small yacht but were swept off-shore in the strong gusting winds before managing to get their motors started.

In two seperate incidents over the past week massive search and rescue operations have been carried out in Cape Town unnecessarily.

As crowds begin to flock to the beaches and waterways and boaters and paddlers launch in larger than normal numbers the NSRI are appealing for sensible and responsible behaviour on our waters, inland and coastal.

On Sunday night, 06th December, at 22h00, a massive search and rescue operation ensued after a vehicle was found parked after normal closing time at Oceana Power Boat Club.

Pat van Eyssen, NSRI Table Bay station commander said: “The vehicle belongs to a member of the club who is well known to be out paddling most of the time and the vehicle showed all indications that the owner had gone paddling at sea. With nightfall and a dense fog rolling in the NSRI Tabe Bay volunteers scoured the coastline for signs of the paddler. All efforts throughout the night to raise family or friends to check on any other possible whereabouts of the man were fruitless and included joint efforts by Metro Police, Cape Town Traffic Department, Metro Rescue, the SA Police Services, East London Police and Traffic Services and Durban Police and Traffic Services. Throughout the night concerned friends and famly were phoned all around South Africa by the rescue authorities trying to locate a friend or family member who would be able to trace someone in Cape Town who would know the whereabouts of the “paddler” if he hadn’t gone to sea, and all the while scouring the coast for signs of the “missing” paddler, increasing concern and causing obvious anxiety to the mans family and friends.”

At approximately 03h30 the man was tracked down and it was discovered he had left the boat club earlier in the evening in a friends car and he hadn’t gone paddling.

The NSRI urge boaters and paddlers to leave a contactable number at their vehicles and/or trailers left unattended at waterways and along the coast.

Always let a responsible person know what time you are launching, the route you are going and your return time and check-in with the responsible person on your safe return.

On Wednesday night, 09th December, at 20h00, NSRI Bakoven’s rescue craft, the Metro Ambulance and Rescue Services, a Police helicopter, a Police rubber duck and Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services initiated an extensive search in Clifton for a paddler, witnessed by a large number of seperate eye-witnesses, in difficulty and constantly capsizing his craft while trying to reach shore.
Eye-witnesses later reported seeing a paddler come ashore at Clifton, but no sign of the paddler could be found and at midnight the search was suspended.

Despite public appeals for the paddler to come forward to identify to rescue authorities that he is safe no word has yet been received and the fate of the paddler remains a mystery although no one has been reported overdue or missing.

The NSRI are appealing to anyone who abandons a craft at sea or who gets into difficulty at sea or on inland waters but manages to “self rescue” themselves and get to shore safely without assistance to alert the rescue authorities that they are safe and thereby avoid a poential search and rescue operation being carried out without it being necessary.

Kite-Boards and Paddle Craft should also have a contactable telephone number stensiled on the craft.

To find out your nearest Sea Rescue Emergency phone number call the NSRI Head Office during office hours at (021) 4344011.

Other National Emergency Medical and Rescue Phone Numbers are:

1. 10177 (from a landline or a cellphone)
2. 112 (from a cellphone)

1. Don’t drink alcohol and then swim, boat, paddle or sail.
   Children should have responsible adult supervision around water and at the beaches at all times.
   Wear your lifejacket while on any craft on water at all times.
   Carry safety equipment, red distress flares, a referees whistle, a cd disc or handheld mirror, communication cellphone and/or vhf radio, bright reflective clothing, at all times while on any craft at sea or on inland waters and know how to use your safety equipment.
   Go to beaches only when and where lifeguards are on duty and swim within the safe swimming zones posted by lifeguards using red and yellow flags. These safe swimming zones will shift position according to where lifeguards detect the strongest rip-currents.
   Be responsible, keep safety top of mind and keep safe.

Ian Wienburg, CEO of the NSRI, and all staff and volunteers of the NSRI wish everyone a safe festive season.

Camps Bay, 06th December, 2009: Mark Thompson, NSRI Bakoven station commander said: “At 20h17, on Saturday the 05th December, NSRI Bakoven were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Camps Bay beach.

“NSRI Bakoven volunteers responded to the scene where a female, aged in her mid 20′s, from Khayelitsha, was found on the beach suffering near drowning symptoms. The female had been rescued from the surf by an unidentified bystander.

“Treatment was administered by paramedics on the scene and the female was transported to hospital in a stable condition by an ambulance.

“It is suspected that the female was inebriated from alcohol consumption resulting in her getting into difficulty while swimming.

“The NSRI are urging the public not to drink alcohol before swimming in any water, inland or coastal, and not to drink alcohol before or while boating, sailing or paddling.”

The NSRI have been informed that a male aged in his mid 20′s drowned at Eerste Steen beach, near Bloubergstrand, on Saturday, 05th December, at approximately 11h00. Lifeguards removed the man from the water and paramedics attempted Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts which were later terminated after all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted and he was declared dead.

Bakoven, 14  November 2009: A search was launched by NSRI Bakoven following eye-witness sightings of a red distress flare deployed off-shore of Clifton at 22h39 on Saturday night.

An extensive sea search aboard NSRI Bakoven’s rescue craft Spirit of Rotary – Table Bay revealed no sign of any persons or craft in distress and it appears that the red distress flare deployment was a hoax call with malicious intent.

Simonstown, 15  November 2009: At 08h44 NSRI Simonstown launched their rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III to go to the assistance of 4 local commercial fishermen aboard their ski-boat Smiley experiencing complete engine failure 3 nautical miles off-shore of Cape Point in 1 metre swell and a 15 to 20 knot South Easterly wind.

On arrival on-scene a tow-line was rigged and their boat was towed safely to Simonstown Harbour where they required no further assistance.

Kommetjie, 15  November 2009: At 16h16 NSRI Kommetjie launched their rescue craft FNB Wavescapes to go to the assistance of a kite-surfer in difficulty off-shore of Kommetjie in a 25 knot off-shore wind.

Andre Baas, NSRI Kommetjie duty coxswain, said that on arrival on-scene a local surfer was found assisting the kite-boarder but in the strong off-shore wind they were making no headway trying to get back to shore.

Andre said that on the arrival of the rescue craft, a quarter of a mile off-shore, the surfer abandoned his attempt to help and he paddled safely back to shore and the kite-boarder, Albert van Jaarsveld, 33, from Cape Town city, was taken aboard the NSRI rescue craft and his kite and board were recovered and he was brought safely to shore where he required no further assistance.