The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) crews had a busy start to June with different incidents that kept the crews on their toes, trying to save lives.
On Wednesday 1 June, a striped dolphin was found to have beached at Keurbooms Beach. The NSRI said they were alerted by the Southern Cape Marine Animal Stranding Network, who had a member of their team on the scene at Dune Park, Keurbooms Beach.
NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, Jaco Kruger stated: “On arrival on the scene, attempts were made by the teams, including the marine animal stranding network members, and NSRI rescue swimmers, to swim the Striped Dolphin out to sea but these attempts were suspended in the rough sea conditions, large breaking swells and with the backline relatively far off-shore.”
He said a specialised stretcher was arranged and the dolphin was loaded and secured into the stretcher, loaded onto the back of the rescue vehicle and the dolphin was brought to the rescue base. The dolphin was then transported and released at sea about two nautical miles off-shore.
“The dolphin appeared strong and healthy and swam away, appearing to be swimming with confidence. We are cautiously optimistic that the dolphin has survived this ordeal. It remains unknown the cause of the dolphin beaching. The shoreline will continue to be monitored,” he said.
Meanwhile, three fishermen were rescued this morning after their boat experienced an engine failure in Shelly Point. According to the NSRI, the Mykonos duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the fishermen reporting to have engine failure on their fishing boat five nautical miles off-shore of Shelly Point lighthouse.
NSRI Mykonos deputy station commander, Nic Stevens, said their sea rescue craft, Spirit of East London II, was towed to St Helena Bay harbour and launched.
“While heading towards the casualty we came across a fishing boat with two local adult fishermen onboard, one nautical mile off-shore and three nautical miles from St Helena Bay harbour. They also had experienced engine failure,” he said.
He added that they managed to tow them to St Helena Bay harbour with no incident.
The crew then returned to sea to head towards the original three fishermen who had initially called them for assistance but while enroute, they confirmed that they had managed to get their engines started and they were heading towards St Helena Bay harbour.
In another incident in Plettenberg bay, an adult French couple was rescued after an eye-witness alerted NSRI to a drowning incident. NSRI said it appeared that while swimming, the couple was caught in rip currents. The female was able to reach a sand bank while the man was swept further out to sea and he was waving his arms to raise the alarm.
“While responding to the scene, both were able to get to shore safely. Both were assessed by our NSRI medics and then as a precaution they were transported by NSRI to the Plettenberg Bay Mediclinic for observation for non-fatal drowning symptoms. Following observation and some TLC treatment they were released requiring no further assistance,” they said.
Also read:
Picture: Cape {town} Etc gallery