Follow-up - National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Media release:

Plettenberg Bay, 16 May, 2007. Near shark attack:
 
Ray Farnham, NSRI Plettenberg Bay Station Commander said: "We have urgently appealed to bathers, boaters, surfers and paddlers to exercise caution along the coastline of Plettenberg Bay following a near shark attack on surfers at Robberg 5 beach, Plettenberg Bay. The near attack was witnessed by Glen Brown from aboard his Roberston 44 helicopter.
"There has been noticeably increased shark activity closer in-shore along Plettenberg Bays coastline over the past 14 days.
"Glen Brown, a Plettenberg Bay resident, often volunteers his Robertson helicopter to the NSRI during sea rescue emergencies where aerial support is required.
"At the time of the incident, today at approximately 15h00, Glen was flying a honeymoon couple and another female passenger over the Plettenberg Bay area and at the time during the flight they were observing a shark near to the sea surface off-shore of Robberg 5 beach.
"During the observation and according to Glen the shark, a 3 to 3.5 metre white shark, moved closer towards about 5 surfers who were surfing at the back surf-line about 50 metres off-shore and Glen descended his helicopter to try to warn the surfers of the sharks presence.
"By the time the helicopter had descended closer to the surfers, according to Glen, the shark was about less than 5 metres from 2 of the surfers and Glen maneuvered the helicopter to between the surfers and the shark in an attempt to ward off the shark away from the surfers while also trying to hand signal the surfers of the impending danger.
"Sight of the shark was lost as a wave went in between the shark and the 2 surfers and at that stage the surfers, who had been waving back at the helicopter, may have realized that the hand signals from the helicopters occupants indicated danger and they started to swim/paddle to shore.
"The shark was then sighted swimming away from the area and Glen said he continued to monitor the shark as it moved further away until sight of the shark was lost beneath the sea surface.
"The honeymoon couple who were on-board the helicopter at the time are professional photographers and they have clear pictures of the shark very close to the surfers.
"The honeymoon couple, Johan and Candice Fouche from Tableview in Cape Town, went down to the beach following the incident to show the surfers (who have not been identified) the photographs which show the shark close to the surfers. According to Candice the surfers claim they did not know of the sharks presence until the helicopter intervened in what they (the surfers) presumed was a shark warning which was confirmed when they saw the photographs.
"The shark working group have confirmed that at the changing of seasons shows increased shark activity at shark feeding grounds. According to the shark working group it can be presumed from the eye-witness accounts that this incident is indicative of a shark investigating something in the water."
 
Released by:
 
Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Spokesman
0823803800

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Media release:

 
Knysna, 02 March, 2007.
 
Clinton Bamber, NSRI Knysna Deputy Station Commander said: "We were activated at 11h49 following a request for assistance from by-standers at the beach at Brenton-On-Sea who had come to the assistance of a female floating in shallow surf unable to walk and experiencing pins and needles sensation to her feet and hands following a boogie-board accident where a wave apparently dumped the lady onto the beach floor while she was boogie-boarding causing her to hit her head on the sand floor.
"The by-standers were cautious not to move the 60 year old female, from Cape Town, who was conscious and possibly suffering a spinal injury and they requested urgent assistance.
"We launched our rescue craft Spirit of KYC and NSRI medical crew responded directly to the scene by road while we activated an ER24 ambulance.
"On arrival on-scene the lady was treated and stabilized with full C-Spine immobilization and brought out of the shallow water and then transported to hospital by ambulance in a stable condition." 
 
East London, 02 March, 2007. Catamaran towed to port following mechanical steering failure.
 
Geoff McGregor, NSRI East London Station Commander said: "At 21h50 we were activated following a request for assistance from the Catamaran Free Spirit sailing from East London toward Durban with three crew on-board reporting steering failure off-shore of Haga-Haga near to the Kei River Mouth and requiring a tow in 2 to 3 metre swells with a 12 knot South Easterly Wind.
"We launched our rescue craft ACSA Rescuer I and on arrival on-scene found the 17 metre Catamaran Free Spirit with 2 men and a female on-board with the vessels rudder jammed to starboard.
"NSRI crew were put aboard and they uncoupled the rudder and a tow-line was rigged.
"Richard Marsly, Helen Galanakis and Ben Mainkoeniez were towed safely to the Port of East London arriving at 03h30 and their craft was moored and no further assistance was required."
 
Released by:
 
Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Spokesman
0823803800

NATIONAL SEA RESCUE INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICA

REPORT ON SERVICE

DATE : 2003/10/04

CALLED 16:15 BY :Mrs Evelyn Pepler
WIND FORCE AND DIRECTION : light variable
SEA STATE : Calm

CASUALTY : Missing hiker 

BAR HEIGHT : Calm

VISIBILITY : Good


DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION 
Mrs Evelyn Pepler (daughter of casualty) requested our assistance. She informed us that she had dropped her father Mr Domingos Da Mata off at Coney Glen at 10:00 and were due to meet him at 14:00. His intentions were to walk along the cliff face in the direction of Noetzie. 
When he had not returned by 16:00 she was concerned about his safety. 

Rescue 12a (Sprit of Mandela) and Rescue 12b (Spirit of KYC) were launched and started searching the area from seaward. A number of swimmers were sent in towards the shore at Coney Glen to search the various coves and inlets which are difficult to access by land. 
Sometime later we were informed that a person had been seen hundreds of metres further east. The rescue craft were directed towards this position. 

A land party (which included our Station Doctor) was also sent to this location. Swimmers from the rescue craft located the casualty. The casualty had fallen between 20 and 30 metres down a cliff face, the initial diagnosis was serious but stable with numerous lacerations and 
a broken arm.  As it was extremely difficult to extract the casualty by land, it was decided to extract him by sea using our floating Stokes Basket stretcher. It was fortunate that conditions were extremely calm as this is normally an extremely hostile stretch of coastline. 

The casualty was brought back to the base where he was stabilised with oxygen and placed on a drip before being transferred to the Knysna Private Hospital. In hospital it was ascertained that his internal injuries were serious, numerous broken ribs, both lungs had collapsed and other fractures. 

The latest report that after extensive surgery the patient is stable and making progress. 

 

  home | gallery | contact details | shark attack | recent operations | safety hints | craft specifications  

[WEB DESIGN - M DEsigns]