Mike Vonk, NSRI Wilderness station commander, said: At 11h06, Wednesday, 29 June, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated to assist Eden 911 ambulance services who were responding to a female who slipped an injured herself on the Half Collared Kingfisher Trail, 3 kilometers upstream from Ebb & Flow Rest Camp.
The sea rescue craft Oscars rescuer was towed to Ebb & Flow Rest Camp by our NSRI rescue vehicle and NSRI team, using the rescue craft, launched to head in the direction of the incident.
SA National Park rangers had also been activated.
It soon became apparent, with the river mouth open, that the river level was too low and the response became a hike.
On reaching the Eden 911 paramedics, SANParks rangers and the patient, a 31 year old pregnant Cape Town lady, with her husband, we found her to be stable but suffering serious injuries.
WC Government Health EMS were activated.
The patient was secured onto a backboard and we initiated an extrication carrying the patient and hiking her along a footpath towards the nearest location that would be accessible to vehicles.
SANPark rangers indicated the best route possible although this route led further upstream and away from EBB & Flow.
On reaching the exit of the hike we were met by a large party of EMS rescue technicians, WSAR (Wilderness Search and Rescue) members and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
They had been conducting an exercise nearby and they assisted in the extrication of the female using the rescue vehicle.
The patient was loaded onto an EMS rescue vehicle and transported to a roadway where the patient was transferred into an Eden 911 ambulance and she was transported to hospital by ambulance.
The patient is recovering from her injuries.
ISLAND LAKE
Mike Vonk, NSRI Wilderness station commander, said: At 11h07, Friday, 1 July, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of 3 people in strong winds capsized on a kayak in Island Lake and waving towards the shore for help.
The sea rescue craft Oscars Rescuer was towed to the scene by our NSRI rescue vehicle while NSRI rescue swimmers and WC Government Health EMS responded directly to the scene.
The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter was placed on alert by EMS Metro Control.
Arrangements were made for the George Lake Yacht Club gate to be opened for access to Island Lake.
On arrival on the scene 3 NSRI rescue swimmers launched into the water and rescued 2 males, aged 21 and 20, and a female, aged 20, safely from the water and recovered their kayak.
One of the male casualties was treated for hypothermia by EMS paramedics and NSRI medics and following treatment no further medical assistance was required.
NSRI commend the swift response to this incident.
NSRI are appealing to anyone launching any kind of craft onto water to always wear a properly fitting and properly fastened life-jacket while your craft is underway.
