A Port Elizabeth angler became lost in the dunes and bush on the Port Elizabeth side of the Gamtoos River on Good Friday night.
NSRI Jeffreys Bay were able to find and rescue him at 1 am on the Saturday morning (7 April 2012).
The man, Andrew Hayward, 53, was found near to the Gamtoos River Mouth only suffering some exhaustion from his ordeal and he was reunited with his family.
According to Rieghard Janse van Rensburg, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station commander, at 9.36 pm on Good Friday NSRI Jeffreys Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of an angler missing. He had been out fishing with a family member who returned home first but who later raised concerns when Hayward did not follow suit that night.
Hayward eventually contacted his family by cellphone to say he was lost in the dunes and bushes near to where he had been fishing and could not find his way out.
“Our NSRI Jeffreys Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded and searched among the dunes and bush, assisted by 24/7 paramedic services who had joined in the search. After Hayward was found on the early hours of Saturday morning, it took a further 40 minutes to lead him through dunes and bush to safety where he was checked by 24/7 paramedics.
“Then at 12.53 pm on Saturday NSRI Port Elizabeth activated NSRI Jeffreys Bay crew following eye-witness reports of a small unmanned boat, the Yorky III, drifting unmanned on the Gamtoos River, 30 kilometers from Jeffreys Bay (towards Port Elizabeth).
“Our sea rescue crew loaded our Discovery Rescue Runner and sea rescue Jet-Ski onto trailers and responded to the scene where bystanders had secured the boat which had fresh bait, clothing, food and refreshments onboard and we recovered Yorky III,” says Rieghard .
“Efforts were then made to identify the owner (assisted by SAMSA – the South African Maritime Safety Authority) while we launched our rescue craft at the Gamtoos Ferry Hotel. A search commenced on the river and at launch sites along the river for possible missing persons from the boat. During investigations our ground crew confirmed the boat belonged to a relative of Hayward, who we had searched for the previous night.
“The relative was located and confirmed that he had abandoned his boat on the river the night before to join the search for Hayward after hearing that he was missing in the dunes. The relative was reunited with his boat.”
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