On Sunday morning, 11 June 2023, a local fisherman (41) was airlifted by the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter to a hospital in a stable condition after he was trapped under a boulder that had rolled onto him in a shallow rock pool gulley during low tide on Saturday while fishing.
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The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Knysna responded to a call from a resident on Saturday, 10 June 2023, at about 3:45pm, who had been alerted by a car guard of a local fisherman who was lying injured and urgently required an ambulance.
Neither the location nor the seriousness of the medical injuries were known; the only information the rescue teams had was that the incident was in the vicinity of Knoetzie and that a man was pinned underneath a boulder that had fallen on top of him.
NSRI Knysna Station Commander, Jerome Simonis, requested that the car guard go back to the location of the fisherman and return with further information on the condition of the casualty and his exact position so that resources could be directed to that area. He returned to the station shortly and was able to provide an update and location of the injured man.
It appears that while on his way to go fishing, the man grabbed onto a large rock while climbing over the rocks. The rock dislodged, causing him to fall backwards into a rock pool with the large rock landing on top of him. He was unable to move after suffering injuries.
NSRI Knysna activated all duty crews, as well as WC Government Health EMS – ambulance and rescue, Knysna Fire and Rescue Services, SA Police Services and Police Search & Rescue.
On NSRI’s arrival at Knoetzie Beach, the crew onboard the NSRI rescue craft JayTee IV conducted a shoreline search for the man but was not able to spot him from the seaside.
The car guard had returned to the injured man with a reflective vest, which he was asked to wave towards the rescue craft to help find the location of the incident.
The search was hampered by no cellphone signal at Knoetzie, making communications between the emergency services challenging. NSRI Knysna requested the assistance of local resident, Search & Rescue pilot Greg Johnsson of Savanna Helicopters.
At that stage, the crew onboard the rescue craft spotted smoke coming from a fire that had been started by the car guard in his efforts to attract the attention of the NSRI crew on the rescue craft.
In a very rocky and barely accessible location on the coastline, the NSRI deployed three rescue swimmers from the NSRI rescue craft. They swam, carrying medical equipment on a floating stretcher, to the shoreline.
They then hiked along rocks to reach and medically assess the man, who was found to be injured and at risk of the rising tide.
EMS rescue paramedics treated the man on the scene for hypothermia and other injuries. Once stabilised and secured onto a backboard, he was carried away from the danger zone of the incoming tide. He remained in the care of EMS paramedics through the night at the scene before being airlifted to hospital on Sunday morning.
It is believed that a fisherman found the injured man and was able to free him from under a rock before asking the car guard to assist by calling for help.
The car guard, fisherman and residents who called NSRI and all emergency services involved are commended for saving the angler’s life.Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city, at half the price? Get exclusive offers here.
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Picture: National Sea Rescue Institute