2 Tourists Assisted

Lando Lombard, NSRI Hermanus duty coxswain, said: At 14h13, Monday, 25 May, NSRI Hermanus duty crew were activated following reports from a former NSRI Hermanus crewman, who was at work in the area, witnessing a couple appearing to be in difficulties in the vicinity of the Fisherhaven Lagoon Mouth at the Meerensee Nature Estate.

The couple had appeared to be attempting to get across the lagoon mouth, from the Kleinmond side, along an old broken walkway bridge and they appeared to be stuck half way and partially in the water.

Our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Hermanus station 17 rescue base where we dispatched our NSRI rescue vehicle accompanied by a rescue craft CROC (small floating rescue craft).

On arrival on the scene we found the couple half way across the lagoon mouth semi-submerged on the broken walkway bridge.

Our NSRI rescue swimmers kitted up and we swam the rescue CROC to them where we secured them both into life-jackets and took them onboard the CROC.

We brought the rescue CROC safely to the Hermanus side of the lagoon and once safely ashore the couple required no further assistance.

It appears that the Russian couple, tourists, a male age 36 and a female, age, 31, had been taking a walk and on their phone MAP application it indicated safe passage across the lagoon on the walkway bridge. But on reaching the walkway bridge, finding the structure to be collapsed, in places, they attempted to cross the lagoon mouth using the bridge anyway, perhaps not realising the water depth, in places, causing them to reach an area where even if they had turned around they may have found themselves in peril.

NSRI commend our former NSRI Hermanus crewman for his assistance