CAPE TOWN - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) on Sunday appealed to the public to be cautious and safe leading up to and into the new year.
The safety alert comes after multiple incidents were attended to by NSRI stations around the coast and on inland waters on Boxing Day on Saturday, the NSRI said in a statement.
Fishermen, coastline rock anglers, and hikers were urged to take heed of the increasing tides as this month’s full moon spring tide approached, which would peak on December 30.
"We are appealing to bathers to only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards and swim in between the lifeguards safe swimming zone flags posted by the lifeguards on the beach," NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said..
"Lifeguards regularly move their flags when rip currents form and we are appealing to the public to obey the lifeguards’ instructions to only swim in between their flags. Families visiting the beach should approach the lifeguards if they are separated from family members or if they need assistance," he said.
Boaters, paddlers, and sail boarders were urged to wear properly fitting and fastened life-jackets while under way on their craft. Boaters should ensure the working order of their craft and their motors were serviced before launching.
Boaters, paddlers and sailors were urged to download and use the NSRI RSA SafeTrx cellphone app and have safety equipment and an emergency plan in place.
"We are appealing to parents to make sure that there is a designated responsible person watching over children in and around water, at coastal and inland waters and at swimming pools. NSRI has developed a safety monitor ID tag to be worn by the responsible person overseeing children when they are swimming. For information on the Safety Monitor ID tag and NSRI water safety tips go to our web page at www.nsri.org.za," Lambinon said.
Saturday's incidents included a capsized boat 300 metres off-shore of Betty’s Bay, east of Cape Town.
NSRI Kleinmond station commander Schalk Boonzaaier said duty crew were activated shortly before 8am. When the sea rescue vehicle arrived on the scene a local rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), skippered by local fisherman Casper Strydom, had rescued all four men who had been hanging onto the upturned hull of their six metre boat for about 20 minutes after she capsized.
The four men were brought into the Kleinmond harbour where an NSRI doctor was standing-by to medically check the men. They were not injured and refused further assistance. The casualty boat sunk despite efforts to try to recover the boat. The NSRI commended Strydom and his crew for their assistance, Boonzaaier said.
At 8.26am, NRSI Mossel Bay duty crew responded following reports of a boat capsized east of Mossel Bay Point, about two nautical miles off-shore, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander Andre Fraser said.
"The sea rescue craft St Blaize Rescuer was launched and on arrival on the scene five men, a skipper and one man from Mossel Bay and three men from the Free State, were assisted by crew on local boats and then taken on board our sea rescue craft, and they were brought to our sea rescue base where Western Cape government health emergency medical services (EMS) paramedics and By Grace ambulance services paramedics medically checked on them, and they were not injured and they required no further assistance.
"Our sea rescue craft returned to the capsized boat which was righted at sea and towed to Mossel Bay harbour where it was recovered and no further assistance was required. It appears that their boat was taking water before it capsized," Fraser said.
Sarah Jane Smith, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander in the Eastern Cape, said duty crew were activated at 12.14pm to a drowning in progress in front of George Road, St Francis Bay.
"On arrival on the scene, we found three bystanders, one is believed to be a lifeguard, had gone into the surf and assisted the two people who were being swept out to sea in rip currents, back to shore, and the two casualties were not injured and they required no further assistance. NSRI commend the three bystanders who assisted," Smith said.
NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew also dispatched the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II and rescue swimmers at about 2.30 pm to the Krom River Mouth where a RHIB had capsized.
"On arrival on the scene, NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed into the surf in big sea conditions and local jet-skiers, who were in the area at the time, also assisted. Three men from the capsized boat were assisted to the shore by local jet-skiers and they were not injured. The local jet-skiers then assisted the two NSRI rescue swimmers to the shore.
"Then a young man got into difficulty after he was swept out to sea by rip currents between The Spit and George Road. A local jet-skier transported an NSRI rescue swimmer to the scene where they found the casualty had already been assisted by another jet-skier who assisted the young man to the shore and he was not injured.
"Then NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were alerted to four children being swept out to sea by rip currents at a private beach near to the Port of St Francis. They all got to shore safely and they were not injured. NSRI commend the assistance rendered by the local jet-skiers," Smith said.
Further incidents were attended to at Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, Kenton-on-Sea in the Eastern Cape, Gordons Bay, Struis Baai, Cape Town, and Kommetjie in the Western Cape, and the Vaal Dam.
- African News Agency (ANA), editing by Jacques Keet