Brad Geyser, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said; “At 13h47 on 29 November NSRI Hout Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a hang-glider plunged into the sea at Logies Bay, Llandudno (Between Camps Bay and Hout Bay).
“Our NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft ALBIE MATTHEWS and responded while a Hout Bay volunteer EMS paramedic Mark Muller and an NSRI Hout Bay volunteer crewman Shaun Thomas responded to the scene by road.
“Metro EMS and the Metro Red Cross AMS rescue helicopter were placed on alert.
“The eye-witness, a Llandudno resident, reported seeing the hang-glider parachute plummeting into the sea and also reported seeing what appeared to be the hang-glider survivor slowly swimming ashore and then he confirmed that it appeared that the hang-glider survivor was now lying motionless on the rocks.
“On arrival on-scene Mark and Sean reached the location of the “emergency”, after negotiating some barely accessible terrain, only to find a large party balloon, in the shape of a Mickey Mouse, lying on rocks.
“It has been confirmed that this was a case of mistaken identity and we suspect that the afternoon sun silhouetted against the balloon may have given the shape the impression of being a hang-glider to the eye-witness!
“This operation is classed as a “False Alarm with Good Intentions” and NSRI encourage members of the public who suspect any person to be in difficulty on our seas to call NSRI without delay in order that we can investigate the matter properly. In this case the eye-witness can be commended for calling NSRI expeditiously and staying in contact with our sea rescue responders.
“All emergency services responding to the scene were stood-down and our sea rescue craft collected Mark and Sean (and the balloon) and brought them back to our sea rescue base by sea (to prevent them having to take a long walk back up to the road over the barely accessible terrain).
“It is not known where the Mickey Mouse balloon came from.”
