It was a busy weekend for the NSRI, with multiple incidents and fatalities recorded on the Cape South Coast. Three local male anglers remain missing from two separate incidents and five fatal drowning accidents.
Also read: NSRI urges beachgoers to swim only in lifeguard-designated areas
Two teenagers are also recovering, one from a surfing injury and one from a non-fatal drowning accident, while a man is recovering from a medical condition.
In the first incident, shortly after 1pm on Saturday, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated by WC Government Health EMS Eden Metro Control following reports of two local fishermen reportedly swept off rocks by a wave while angling on the shoreline south of Thembalethu.
The NSRI rescue craft Ann Stratford and Spirit of Rotary were launched.
The WC Government Health EMS rescue squad and ambulance, NSRI rescue swimmers, the SA Police Services, WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services), George Fire and Rescue Services and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, accompanied by an NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue) crewman, responded.
On arrival at the scene, an extensive air, sea and shoreline search commenced.
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A Fire and Rescue Services rescue craft launched and joined in the search.
It appears three local men were fishing together when a wave swept one man off the rocks. While the two men were attempting to direct their friend to try to swim towards safety, a wave washed one of the men into the water.
The third friend had tried to direct both men towards safety but after they were unable to reach safety he hiked to their vehicles above the cliffs, and on reaching cellphone reception, he raised the alarm before returning to search for his friends who had disappeared in the surf.
Despite an extensive search, there are no signs of the two missing men.
Police divers are continuing an ongoing search.
Later, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were alerted by NSRI lifeguards at Victoria Bay of a drowning in progress.
Three members of the public had been swimming in the surf zone when it appeared currents pulled them out from lifeguards safer designated bathing area and rip currents swept them further out to sea.
Lifeguards, recognising the developing emergency, when the three swimmers had ventured out of the safer demarcated swimming area, being pulled across the shoreline by currents, had dispatched four lifeguards into the surf to assist.
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Lifeguards rescued two casualties to safety, they were not injured, and while swimming towards the third casualty they lost sight of the male teenager in the breaking surf line and sea swells.
Lifeguards reached the area where they had last seen the teenager and they located him as he was being pulled under water.
The lifeguards, assisted by a local surfer, placed the teenager onto the surfers surfboard and initiated rescue breaths while rescuing him towards the beach.
Once ashore three local doctors, who happened to be there, NSRI lifeguards, NSRI medics and an ER24 paramedic continued with medical treatment and rescue breathing on the beach and were joined by additional NSRI members, emergency services and paramedics who were arriving on the scene.
With respiratory resuscitation efforts continuing the teenager was transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a critical condition where ongoing medical care was provided by doctors and nurses.
Following ongoing extensive medical care in hospital the teenager was stabilised and hospital staff have reported that he is expected to make a full recovery.
NSRI lifeguards, the local surfer and the off duty doctors, who assisted on the scene, are commended for their swift response that contributed to saving the teenagers life.
On Sunday, NSRI Wilderness, ER24 ambulance Services, NSRI rescue swimmers, an off-duty SA National Parks ranger, the SA Police Services, WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) and Knysna Fire and Rescue Services responded to Sedgefield Lagoon following reports of a drowning in progress.
On arrival on the scene, NSRI found an SA National Parks honorary ranger conducting CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts, on a local adult female. NSRI medics continued CPR and were joined by an off duty ER24 paramedic.
Paramedics continued with CPR and signs of life were restored to the patient on the scene.
The patient was transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a critical condition, where extensive efforts by doctors and nurses in hospital, continued.
It appears, from eyewitness reports, that three people may have been swimming together in the lagoon when the eyewitness noticed one of the swimmers, a lady, lifeless in the water. Two good Samaritans were able to recover the lady from the water and bystander CPR was initiated by an SA National Parks honorary ranger who was nearby and the alarm was raised.
At that stage, it remained unknown the whereabouts of two persons, who were suspected to have been swimming with the lady in the lagoon at the time. NSRI launched the sea rescue craft Lavinia.
NSRI, police divers and emergency services conducted a search for those two persons, including a water search, but there were no leads at the time as to where they were or if they were missing.
Later on Sunday, NSRI Wilderness was alerted to reports of a body floating in the lagoon, nearby the scene where the lady had been recovered earlier in the day. NSRI Wilderness, SA Police Services, an SA National Parks ranger, WPDS Water Policing and Dive Services, Knysna Fire and Rescue Services, WC Government Health Forensic Pathology Service and WC Government Health EMS responded.
The body of an adult female was recovered and sadly declared deceased by the EMS paramedic.
Police divers initiated a further search.
During a scuba dive search operation, police divers located and recovered the body of an adult male from under water.
The two deceased were taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
An inquest docket has been opened by the police.
The first casualty, who had been transported to the hospital earlier in the day, remained in a critical condition in the hospital. Sadly, later that night, the patient was declared deceased after all efforts by doctors and nurses to save her life were exhausted.
At 2:30pm on Sunday, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated by the SA Police Services following eyewitness reports of a fisherman missing at Hansmoeskraal, near Pacaltsdorp.
The NSRI rescue craft Ann Stratford and Spirit of Rotary were launched.
WC Government Health EMS rescue squad and ambulance, NSRI rescue swimmers, the SA Police Services, WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services), George Fire and Rescue Services responded. Although initially activated, the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, accompanied by an NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue) crewman, stood down from responding due to dense fog on the scene.
On arrival at the scene, an extensive sea and shoreline search commenced in the search for the local adult male.
George Fire and Rescue Services conducted an aerial search using a rescue drone.
Despite the extensive air, sea and shoreline searches, there are no signs of the missing man.
It appears that while fishing from the shoreline, the man was swept into the sea by a wave.
Police divers are continuing an ongoing search.
Thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time.
Meanwhile, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following reports that a man collapsed on the beach at Buffalo Bay on Sunday afternoon.
On arrival, two NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the water and they swam ashore, where they assessed a local 84-year-old male and medical treatment commenced.
While at Buffalo Bay, the NSRI crew and ER24 observed a female surfer being assisted out of the water by a public member.
The NSRI crew assisted in getting the teenage surfer to the beach, where it was discovered she had sustained an injury while surfing.
Doctors and ER24 paramedics initiated medical treatment and she was transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a stable condition for further medical care.
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Picture: NSRI