Junré Marais, NSRI Yzerfontein duty commander, said:
On Saturday, 26 December, at 12h29, NSRI Yzerfontein duty crew, during routine training exercises, were diverted to respond to Huis Baai, Dassen Island, following a request for assistance from 4 local, 3 men and a female, on a 6 meter RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) reporting engine failure.
Our sea rescue craft Rotary Onwards and Sonja responded.
On arrival on the scene we assisted the men to repair a gearbox motor cable and after the engine was back in working order they required no further assistance.
At 14h00, our NSRI Yzerfontein duty crew dispatched the sea rescue craft Rotary Onwards and Sonja to Huis Baai, Dassen Island, to assist a local skipper who had suffered an injury.
On arrival on the scene medical assistance was rendered and following medical care the skipper required no further assistance and we returned to base.
At 16h00, Sunday, 27 December, NSRI Yzerfontein duty crew were activated to reports of a drowning in progress at Main Beach, Yzerfontein.
On arrival on the scene we found See en Sand lifeguards had assisted 2 female cousins, aged 11, from Yzerfontein and from Brackenfell, from the water after they had been caught in rip currents.
NSRI medics assisted the See en Sand lifeguards to medically check on the 2 females and advice was given to family to monitor them for non-fatal drowning symptoms and they required no further assistance.
The See en Sand lifeguards are commended for their swift intervention.
Then at 18h23 NSRI Yzerfontein were alerted to eye-witness reports of 5 children suspected to be in difficulty in the surfline near to the Yzerfontein tide pool.
The sea rescue craft Sonja was launched and on arrival on the scene it was confirmed that the children were swimming and they needed no assistance.
We commend the eye-witnesses for their vigilance and their concern.
