-Edited by Bev Mortimer- Gordons Bay volunteer duty successfully rescued a kite boarder in difficulty at Strand on Saturday this past weekend and NSRI Strandfontein rescued a surf-skier, found by chance on Sunday, offshore of False Bay and the Strand, struggling in strong winds.
The NSRI Gordon’s volunteer duty crew were activated about 3.30 pm on Saturday by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) that had reported a kite-boarder appearing to be in difficulty at Strand in front of Die Poort. The kite boarder and his sail were in the water without his sail up and the man was in difficulty .
The NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers and shore crew responded to the scene. GB Med Sec ambulance services were alerted.
A man on a paddle board had also went to the aid of of the kite boarder. In strong northerly wind the local man , a kite boarder was found lying on the foil of his kite and was assisted by the unidentified paddler. He was transferred to the Gordon’s Bay rescue craft and his foil was recovered.
The kite boarder was brought safely to shore uninjured. The paddler was commended for his assistance.
Then yesterday, Sunday, after an extensive, but unsuccessful search in the morning for a dinghy supposedly missing with two people on board being being blown out to sea at Macassar, NSRI Strandfontein volunteer duty crew spotted a lone surf-skier caught by strong Northerly winds.
The surf-skier reported he had been struggling for some time to paddle back back to shore at Strand where he had launched from earlier, but strong winds continued to sweep him further out to sea. At the same time NSRI Simonstown were alerted by the surf-ski community of a surf-skier overdue at sea in False Bay off-shore of Strand. It was confirmed this was the surf-skier overdue.
The local surf-skier was rescued onto the NSRI rescue craft and brought safely closer to shore without incident with his surf-ski. He was then able to continue to paddle towards Strand Beach and required no further assistance.
The volunteer NSRI duty crew at both stations were commended for their successful rescues.
