Multiple rescue operations across the Southern Cape this May
Multiple incidents took place across the Southern Cape this May. Here’s a rundown of some of those stories:
GQEBERHA:
A man assisted in the Port of Gqeberha and 3 medical evacuations off ships.
Thursday, 11 May, at 13h27:
NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were activated following reports from TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port Control of a man on a small boat appearing to be in difficulty in the Port of Gqeberha.
The SA Police Services and EC Government Health were activated.
On arrival on the scene the small boat had washed against rocks at the harbour.
NSRI assisted the man ashore and he was not injured.
NSRI towed the small boat which was recovered at a slip way.
NSRI commend the close working cooperation between all services.
Wednesday, 03 May, at 20h00:
NSRI Gqeberha duty crew, accompanied by EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics, launched the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha at 22h55, to patient evacuate a Chinese seaman suffering a medical complaint on a commercial motor vessel off-shore in Algoa Bay.
On arrival on the scene NSRI crew and an EMS rescue paramedic boarded the vessel.
In a stable condition the patient was transferred onto the NSRI rescue craft and brought to our NSRI Gqeberha rescue station.
The patient was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance for further care.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, EC Government Health EMS duty controllers, a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the SA Police Services Sea Borderline Control and the ship agent, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) with logistics and the coordination of the medical evacuation operation.
The operation was completed at midnight.
NSRI commend the close working cooperation between all services.
Thursday, 04 May, 20h45.
NSRI Gqeberha duty crew, accompanied by EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics, launched the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha at 21h20, to patient evacuate a Filipino seaman suffering a medical complaint on a commercial motor vessel off-shore of Noordhoek.
On arrival on the scene NSRI crew and an EMS rescue paramedic boarded the vessel.
In a stable condition the patient was transferred onto the NSRI rescue craft and brought to our NSRI Gqeberha rescue station.
The patient was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance for further care.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, EC Government Health EMS duty controllers, a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the SA Police Services Sea Borderline Control and the ship agent, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) with logistics and the coordination of the medical evacuation operation.
The operation completed at 23h57.
NSRI commend the close working cooperation between all services.
Friday, 05 May, 14h09:
NSRI Gqeberha duty crew, accompanied by EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics, launched the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha at 14h13, to patient evacuate a Filipino seaman suffering a medical complaint on a commercial motor vessel off-shore of Algoa Bay.
On arrival on the scene NSRI crew and an EMS rescue paramedic boarded the vessel.
In a stable condition the patient was transferred onto the NSRI rescue craft and brought to our NSRI Gqeberha rescue station.
The patient was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance for further care.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, EC Government Health EMS duty controllers, a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the SA Police Services Sea Borderline Control and the ship agent, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) with logistics and the coordination of the medical evacuation operation.
The operation completed at 15h30.
NSRI commend the close working cooperation between all services.
WILDERNESS and SEDGEFIELD:
3 medical emergencies attended to.
Wednesday, 10 May, at 09h59:
NSRI Wilderness duty crew and WC Government Health EMS were activated to reports of a 23 year old female University student with a medical complaint at Gericke’s Point, Sedgefield.
On arrival on the scene the female was medically stabilised and carried about 200 meters to a waiting Rhino EMS rescue vehicle and she was transported to the Swartvlei car park where the EMS ambulance was standing by.
Following further medical treatment at the ambulance the patient was transported to hospital in a stable condition by EMS ambulance.
Monday, 1 May, at 08h50:
An NSRI Wilderness trainee crewman, fishing at Gericke’s Point, reported a female injured and requiring medical assistance.
An NSRI rescue vehicle, an NSRI lifeguard mobile, and ER24 ambulance services responded.
On arrival at the nearest accessible location to the beach NSRI and paramedics hiked 1km on foot with medical gear to reach the patient, a 21 year old female from Sedgefield.
The patient was stabilised, secured into a Stokes basket stretcher and hiked to the car park.
A WC Govt Health EMS rescue squad and ambulance had also responded.
The patient was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition.
The teamwork between services is commended.
Then NSRI Wilderness duty crew then responded to West of Cola Beach, near Platbank, Sedgefield, following reports to the NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) of a 69 year old female unconscious on the shoreline.
NSRI responded to the NSRI Sedgefield satellite station.
An NSRI all terrain vehicle, carrying medical equipment, responded along the beach to join 2 public members who were in private transport, 4×4 vehicles, who had gone to assist.
Knysna Fire and Rescue Services had also responded.
The lady was stabilised by NSRI medics and brought to Myoli Beach using a public members 4×4 vehicle where she was further assessed by NSRI medics and Fire and Rescue Services paramedics and in good health no further assistance was required.
One public members vehicle was recovered after getting stuck in soft sand during the operation.
All involved are commended for the swift response.
JEFFREYS BAY:
Sea Kayak capsized in the surf zone.
Saturday, 06 May, 12h06:
NSRI Jeffreys Bay lifeguards and NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew responded to reports of a fishing sea-kayak capsized in the surf-zone with one man onboard in front of the NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue station.
The man was able to come ashore and he was not injured.
NSRI crew launched the NSRI rescue craft jet-rib Rescue 37 Alpha and recovered the sea-kayak about 509 meters off-shore where the craft was drained of water and towed ashore where the owner recovered his craft.
No further assistance was required.
The swift response is commended.
ATLANTIC SEABOARD:
UK tourist saves a teenager caught in a rip current.
Sunday, 8 May, 16h30:
While taking a walk on the Sea Point Promenade Toby Finneran, age 31, a tourist from the United Kingdom, noticed a child in difficulty caught in a rip current at Queens Beach, Sea Point.
A friend of the casualty had taken an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy off the stand stationed at Queens Beach.
Toby took the buoy from a 14 year old teenager and launched into the surf where he reached the casualty teenager, age 15, finding him to be in distress trying to keep his head above water.
Using the pink rescue buoy to keep the teenager afloat, while fighting strong rip currents and heavy breaking surf, Toby was able to safely bring the teenager to rocks where the friend met them and they assisted him to the beach.
At one stage the child had lost a grip of the pink rescue buoy so Toby had grabbed a hold of the casualty, assisting the teenager to hold onto the pink buoy, while he used the strap of the pink buoy to wrap around his shoulder and torso, and with the aid of the floatation buoy he had swum the casualty towards rocks and to calmer and shallow waters.
NSRI Bakoven, NSRI Table Bay and the City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network had been activated.
NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay rescue swimmers, CoCT Law Enforcement officers, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and WC Government Health EMS responded.
On arrival on the scene EMS and Fire and Rescue Services paramedics treated the teenager for non-fatal drowning symptoms.
A local man, age 29, who is believed to have also attempted to assist the child, was found on the beach suffering non-fatal drowning symptoms and he was taken into the care of paramedics.
The teenager and the local man were transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable conditions for further care.
NSRI commend Toby Finneran for saving the child’s life.
STRANDFONTEIN:
Shoreline angler swept away by rip currents:
Wednesday, 10 May, 13h30:
NSRI Strandfontein crew, conducting routine training at the NSRI Strandfontein rescue station, were alerted to a shoreline angler who had been caught in a rip current after he had waded into the surf to retrieve fishing gear.
NSRI rescue swimmers launched a Malibu rescue board to safely bring the local fisherman, age 31, to the beach.
He was not injured and he required no further assistance.
NSRI rescue swimmers showed the fisherman how to spot rip currents in the surf line and how to escape a rip current.
OYSTER BAY:
Search conducted following red distress flares witnessed:
Wednesday, 10 May, 17h39:
NSRI Oyster Bay duty crew and NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew launched NSRI rescue craft following eye-witness reports of red distress flares deployed off-shore of Oyster Bay.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port Control and Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted.
Despite an extensive sea and shoreline no signs of any vessels in distress were found and there remains no reports of any vessel or persons overdue or missing at sea.
NSRI appeal to seafarers to only deploy red distress flares in an emergency.
TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRIAL:
14 hikers assisted to safety from the Tsitsikamma hiking trail
Friday, 12 May, 15h27:
NSRI Knysna were alerted by a parent of a hiker, at around 15h27, Friday, 12 May, reporting 14 hikers cut off by the rain affected heavy flowing Lottering River, on the Tsitsikamma hiking trail, on the North Eastern side of the Bloukrans River.
NSRI Oyster Bay and NSRI Storms River duty crews were alerted by NSRI Knysna of the situation.
The 14 hikers, 9 females and 5 males, 12 of them University students, reported to be cut off by swollen, flooded rivers, and unable to continue on their hike to reach safety.
It appears they had crossed the Lottering River in the morning.
Then on reaching the Elandsbos River they had found that river to be swiftly flowing and they were unable to cross the river. They had then backtracked to the Lottering River which was by that stage also swollen and they were unable to cross the river finding themselves trapped in between the 2 rivers in the Rushes Pass Valley.
MTO (Mountains to Sea) Forestry had also received information of the hiking party trapped between the 2 rivers on Friday afternoon. Plettenberg Bay First Responders and NSRI Plettenberg Bay had been alerted.
NSRI Plettenberg Bay joined Plettenberg Bay First Responders and MTO rangers, using an MTO fire truck, to attempt to reach the hikers, on Friday late afternoon, but by that stage the Lottering River was well flooded, it was already dark and the efforts were suspended for safety.
In the interim Lodewyk van Rensburg, NSRI Oyster Bay and NSRI Storms River station commander, assisted by Ian Gray, NSRI Eastern Cape regional director, had initiated a joint operation to assist in the rescue of the hikers on Saturday morning – in cooperation with Storms River Police station, the Police Dive Unit, MTO Forestry commanders and Eastern Cape Government Health EMS who together prepared a rescue operation that was to begin at first light on Saturday morning.
During the night NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty controller Laurent Eray remained in contact with the casualty hiking party advising them of the rescue operation in the planning stages.
The hikers, who were well equipped, were informed to remain where they were, between the Lottering and Elandsbos Rivers, and stay warm.
They are commended for organising themselves to keep in contact with Laurent Eray during the night, on the hour, every hour, they took turns to stand watch, and to gather fire wood.
Communications were achieved by Whatsapp from the hikers at an elevated post nearby that had a cell signal above their make shift campsite.
They had arranged to keep feeding a fire for warmth. This was achieved despite wet fire wood that they had collected during the night.
They are commended for their sterling efforts under these unexpected and trying circumstances.
A JOCC (Joint Operations Command Centre) was set up at the MTO Lottering Forestry Station on Saturday morning headed by Eastern Cape Government Health EMS and by the SA Police Services in cooperation with NSRI Oyster Bay.
NSRI Oyster Bay, NSRI Storms River, NSRI Jeffreys Bay, MTO (Mountain to Sea) rangers, SA National Parks Tsitsikamma rangers, Eastern Cape Government Health EMS, the SA Police Services Storms River Police Station and SAPS Dive Unit, Plettenberg Bay First Responders, NSRI Plettenberg Bay and a Savannah Helicopters Squirrel helicopter (an MTO resource from George) reached the JOCC at Tsitsikamma Lottering Forestry Station during the early hours of Saturday morning.
The hikers had been forewarned to prepare for their pending evacuation.
An NSRI Plettenberg Bay rescue vehicle and a private 4×4 vehicle were dispatched by road to the nearest dirt track that lies nearest to the Keurbos Hut. That rescue party hiked to the Keurbos hut carrying additional gear.
The Savannah helicopter, piloted by Greg Johnson and accompanied by NSRI Plettenberg Bay rescue swimmer Nathan Hart, EMS rescue paramedic, Jaco Kotze, and by Plettenberg Bay First responders medic, James Stewart, reached the hikers.
Locating a landing zone amongst Fynbos about 800 meters from the hikers they landed and hiked to reach the casualties.
The EMS rescue paramedic and the NSRI rescue swimmer medically assessed the hikers – 3 were treated for mild smoke inhalation that they had suffered from smoke from the fire that they had huddled near to during the night, but all were in good spirits.
An existing rope, that lies across the Lottering River, was tightened, inspected for safety, and the NSRI rescue swimmer, Nathan Hart, and the EMS rescue paramedic, Jaco Kotze, used that rope in aiding the hikers across the river in relays of one at a time through chest deep swift flowing water.
They were brought to the Keurbos Hut where they were met by the land party (from the 4×4 vehicles) and they were further warmed up at the hut before hiking about another 800 meters to the helicopter landing zone that had been established on the dirt track.
In 3 relays they were airlifted aboard the helicopter to the Lottering Forestry Station’s JOCC.
Some of the hikers parents were at the Lottering Forestry Station to meet up with the hikers as they were airlifted to the JOCC.
An EMS ambulance had been dispatched and was stationed at the JOCC where EMS paramedics further medically assessed the hikers, as they were landed by the helicopter, finding them all to be in good spirits and in good health.
They were then driven by private vehicles to Natures Valley which was where they had started their hike and once there, with all being safe and not injured, no further assistance was required.
All services involved are commended for their close cooperation and team work during the rescue evacuation operation.
