A Belgian tourist and a 41-year-old fisherman were saved by the National Sea Rescue Institute in the Western Cape in two separate incidents last week.
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Shortly after 5pm on Thursday, the NSRI Wilderness duty crew was activated following a request for assistance from a 34-year-old female Belgian tourist reporting that she was cut off by the spring high tide while hiking on the beach in the Goukamma Nature Reserve, east of Sedgefield.
A NSRI Wilderness rescue vehicle was dispatched and rescue swimmers responded. An ATV (all-terrain vehicle) was also dispatched to respond along the beach but due to the spring high tide, beach erosion and exposed rocks from the recent storms, it was not able to reach the lady.
‘On reaching the nearest access point at Goukamma Nature Reserve an NSRI rescue team hiked and on reaching the lady, found her safe and we hiked her, without incident, at sunset, out of danger and safely back to her accommodations where she required no further assistance,’ said NSRI Wilderness Station Commander Mike Vonk.
This came after the NSRI Wilderness duty crew had responded to investigate eye-witness reports of a kayak appearing to be afloat and unmanned at Flat Rock earlier on Thursday.
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On arrival at the scene, the kayak was found to have washed ashore. On inspection, it appears this is an old kayak that has most likely been adrift for a while. There were no reports of anyone missing or overdue.
Meanwhile, at 7:30pm on Thursday, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) was contacted by a local fishing company requesting medical evacuation to a hospital for one of their crew members, a local 41-year-old fisherman suffering a medical complaint onboard their fishing vessel, 60 nautical miles south of Cape Point.
MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) and WC Government Health EMS Metro Control were alerted. Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted an EMS duty doctor in communicating with the skipper and it was deemed necessary to transfer the patient to hospital as soon as possible.
NSRI requested the skipper to head towards Cape Point at best speed while the NSRI Simon’s Town duty crew launched the rescue craft Donna Nicholas, accompanied by a CMR ALS (Advanced Life Support) paramedic and rendezvoused with the fishing vessel 30 nautical miles south of Cape Point in relatively big sea conditions in excess of 4-metre swells and navigating through busy shipping lanes.
‘Our NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski II remained on alert throughout the operation in case she was needed to respond,’ said NSRI Simon’s Town operations commander, Simon McDonnell.
‘The patient was transferred onto the NSRI rescue craft and in the care of the CMR ALS paramedic the patient was brought to our NSRI Simon’s Town rescue station and transported to hospital by CMR ambulance in a stable condition.’
‘We commend our NSRI Simon’s Town crew for their swift response, NSRI EOC, the fishing company and the skipper and crew of the fishing vessel for their assistance during the coordination of the operation and Telkom Maritime Radio Services for their assistance with marine VHF radio communications.’
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Picture: NSRI
