On Sunday, 20 August, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Strandfontein duty crew received an activation call based on an eyewitness report of a dinghy, possibly carrying two individuals, drifting out to sea near Macassar.
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Nicolette Whitehead, station commander of NSRI Strandfontein, said in response to this report, the sea rescue craft Grand West CSI was immediately launched, while an NSRI rescue vehicle and City of Cape Town (CoCT) Law Enforcement officers headed to Macassar Beach.
Despite initial suspicions from the eyewitness that what they had seen might have been party balloons adrift at sea, a sea search was initiated, bravely venturing into 20-knot Northerly winds.
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The NSRI Gordons Bay shore crew investigated potential launch sites but were unable to confirm any missing individuals, unattended vehicles or boat trailers, or anyone overdue at sea.
During the extensive search, the NSRI Strandfontein rescue craft came across a surf skier approximately 3 nautical miles offshore of Monwabisi. He was struggling against the strong Northerly winds and had been battling for some time to return to Strand, where he had initially set out from but the strong winds and current continued to push him further out to sea.
Coincidentally, NSRI Simonstown had also been alerted by the surf-ski community about an overdue surf-skier in False Bay, offshore of Strand.
Upon confirmation, it was established that the surf skier discovered by NSRI Strandfontein was indeed the individual who had been reported overdue.
The adult male surf skier was safely rescued onto the NSRI rescue craft and brought closer to shore without any complications. He was able to continue paddling towards Strand Beach independently and required no further assistance.
Regarding the earlier report of the dinghy, it remains uncertain what the eyewitness had observed. There have been no reports of missing persons at sea or individuals overdue that could be linked to this incident.
The NSRI continues to advocate for boaters, paddlers and sailors to download and utilise the NSRI SafeTrx smartphone application as a valuable tool for enhancing their safety while at sea.
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Picture: NSRI