Recent News

• Drowning at Macassar Beach
  1. 7 Dec 08
     Macassar, 07 December, 2008. Drowning: Nawahlodien Panday, NSRI Strandfontein Station Commander said: "At 16h48 NSRI Strandfontein were activated by the National Ports Authority to respond to Macassar Beach following reports of a drowning in progress. "We launched our rescue craft I&J Rescuer while NSRI volunteers responded directly to the beach and the Metro Ambulance and Rescue Services and the SA Police Services responded to join SA Lifesaving lifeguards who were on the scene. "On arrival on-scene it was determined that a male child was safely on the beach after getting into difficulty in the surf and he required no medical attention. "While in attendance at the scene it was reported, from further down the same beach, that another drowning incident was taking place. "Lifeguards swam out and brought a male, aged 44, who was found floating lifeless in the surf, onto the beach and together with the Metro paramedics Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts were commenced on the man, who was pulse less and not breathing but after all efforts to revive the man were exhausted he was declared dead. "Police are investigating the drowning and the deceased mans name will only be released once his next of kin are informed
• Kite Boarder Rescued
  1. 4 Oct 08
     Pat van Eyssen, NSRI Table Bay station commander said: “At 13h03 NSRI Melkbosstrand were activated by Transnet Ports Authority to eyewitness reports of a kiteboarder appearing to be unable to get up on his kiteboard and being swept out to sea offshore of Sunset Beach, between Milnerton and Bloubergstrand. Our rescue vessel Spirit of Vodacom, which was on the water in Table Bay conducting a routine training exercise, responded together with the Metro Ambulance and Rescue Service and the Metro Red Cross AMS helicopter. While responding to the scene we were informed by the eyewitness that the kiteboarder appeared to have abandoned his kite and board at sea and was trying to swim towards the shore. On our arrival on the scene we quickly located the abandoned kite and board, and following a brief search, located the man swimming towards the shore but still a good half a kilometer out to sea. We took him on board our rescue vessel and recovered his board and kite. 40-year-old George Amolis, from Claremont, Cape Town, was not injured and we dropped him off nearer to the beach and he waded ashore with his board and kite, requiring no further assistance.”
• Father and Son Saved
  1. 1 Oct 08
     Cape St Francis Bob Meikle, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander said: “At 11h18 our NSRI volunteers were activated to launch our rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II to respond to the Cape St Francis Main Beach where a father and son were reported to be in difficulty in the surf. At the time, our NSRI rescue swimmer, Koos van Wyk, and our NSRI station doctor’s wife, Twiggy Malan, both happened to be on Main Beach, which was quite busy because of the school holidays and fine weather. They witnessed a 12-year-old male on a boogie board being swept out to sea by a strong rip current. Almost immediately the boy’s father, a 45-year-old male, jumped into the surf and swam after his son to try to assist but the father was also caught up in the rip current and was swept out to sea. While Twiggy called out the NSRI duty crew, Koos swam after the pair and managed to reach them about 500 metres offshore in a strong rip current but moderately calm sea conditions. Koos assisted the boy’s father onto rocks, running adjacent to the beach, and then reached the son and swam him and his boogie board safely to the beach. Father and son were reunited on the beach uninjured and they required no further assistance. The NSRI duty crew was stood down before they arrived on the scene. The father and son were most grateful for the quick action taken by Koos. The family, from the Free State and on holiday at Cape St Francis, has respectfully requested that their details are not released for publication.”
• Two Men Safe After Near-drowning Incident
  1. 13 Sep 08
     Plettenberg Bay Ray Farnham, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander said: “We launched our rescue craft Ian Hepburn at 16h11 following reports of two men being swept out to sea in front of the Beacon Island Hotel. The SA Police Services, Baycare Ambulance Service, ER24 ambulance service and two of our NSRI station doctors also responded to the scene where both local men, both aged 23, were found safely ashore after being swept out to sea by strong rip currents. After having been medically assessed on the scene, they were released uninjured. It appears that one of the men had managed to get out of the water unassisted and the second man was rescued by 22-year-old Ruaan Lesch from George, who was taking part in a local fishing competition. Ruaan had swum out to the men after witnessing them being swept out to sea and he brought one of the men safely through rip currents out of the water and the second man had managed to get to shore unassisted.”