While conducting a medical post at the top of Chapman’s Peak for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, members of the NSRI noticed a RHIB (rigid-hull inflatable boat) that appeared to be adrift, with three people on board.
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NSRI Hout Bay had deployed the NSRI rescue vehicle at the medical post on top of Chapman’s Peak Drive for the cycle tour, along with Metro Rescue, and the NSRI rescue quad bike was stationed at Hout Bay Beach, at a radio relay station, alongside SARZA (Search and Rescue ZA).
While monitoring the RHIB (and the cycle tour), NSRI Hout Bay received a call from NSRI Kommetjie requesting assistance because the RHIB had lost motor power. Two local males, ages 17 and 20, were still on the boat, while a third male, age 18, was on the rocks below the Chapman’s Peak Point cliffs.
They reported that they had deployed a sea drogue but were quickly adrift in the strong south-easterly wind that was sweeping them towards shore, putting them at risk of running aground.
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All eyes at the medical post then focused on the casualty RHIB, and with the strong south-easterly winds, it was clear that their sea drogue was not slowing their drift towards the shoreline.
The NSRI 7.3-metre RHIB rescue craft Albie Matthews and their rescue JetRib Spirit of Gabi were launched from the NSRI Hout Bay Station 8 rescue base; the NSRI quad bike had responded to the rescue base, where additional duty crew were already present, standing by as planned during the cycle tour, aware that traffic and the cycle tour could impede a response to the rescue base on the day.
On arrival at the scene, the rescue craft Albie Matthews tow the casualty RHIB, while the rescue craft JetRib, Spirit of Gabi, initially searched along the shoreline for the third casualty and then negotiated the sea swells and strong winds to get close enough to the rocks to recover the 18-year-old onto the rescue craft.
The rescue craft JetRib then met with the rescue RHIB, and the 18-year-old was transferred aboard.
Their casualty boat was towed to Hout Bay Harbour and recovered, and the three casualties needed no further assistance.
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Picture: Supplied / CoCT