Spencer Oldham, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said: At 09h47, Saturday, 5 September, NSRI Hout Bay duty crew, while at the NSRI Hout Bay station 8 rescue base conducting routine training, launched the NSRI rescue craft Albie Matthews after noticing the Hout Bay Yacht Club (HBYC) racing buoy (the Tintswalo buoy) break free from her mooring at HBYC and it was being swept out to sea across Hout Bay in the gale force South Easterly, in excess of 60 knot, winds.
HBYC were notified.
Our NSRI rescue vehicle was dispatched to the top of Chapman’s Peak Drive to get visuals of the floatation buoy while our rescue craft commenced a search in the Bay.
The buoy was spotted being blown in the direction of Duiker Island and the rescue craft diverted in hot pursuit.
Our rescue craft reached the buoy in the vicinity of Dungeons, beyond Duiker Island, where the buoy was recovered and a towline secured to our rescue craft.
The racing buoy was towed back to HBYC and secured at her moorings and no further assistance was required.
