Notices
This afternoon at 16:55 Coastal Water Rescue activated the squad following reports from a bystander at Beachview that there were two people on a river canoe that had capsized, and that one was still in the water. This information was given through to the Water Emergency Rescue Committee to activate the other emergency services.
On arrival by the first members it was established that they went paddling in the sea in a river canoe and capsized. They managed to make it back over the rocks, but immediately left the scene.
The canoe was impounded and will be handed over to the SAPS.
Services on scene: Coastal Water Rescue, NSRI, Beach Office, SAPS Divers, Seaview NHW.
Coastal Water Rescue squad members responded to New Brighton beach at 7:40 this morning after reports that a swimmer had gone missing.
According to bystanders, they noticed a single swimmer in the water, and he was waving for attention but shortly after that disappeared from view.
Jetskis from BWB Surf Lifesaving Club and the Beach Office were deployed to search but were not successful, with the CWR members remaining on standby to enter the water should the need arise.
The Coastal Water Rescue squad was activated at 21:12 last night to assist with a search of the Beachview area after reports were received that there were two missing people after their kayak capsized.
Full report from the NSRI below:
At 21h06, Saturday, 22nd December, NSRI Station 6 Port Elizabeth were alerted to reports of a father and son missing in the sea at Beach View.
It appears that the father, 35, his son, 10, from Beach View, and his nephew, 16, from Algoa Park, launched a canoe to go fishing in calm seas at approximately 18h00. Their craft is believed to have capsized at around 19h00 about half a kilometer off-shore and the teenager swam to shore at 20h15 and ran home to raise the alarm.
The missing man’s wife and her sister went to the scene to start a search and they located the canoe washed ashore and they raised the alarm.
The Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Water Rescue Network were activated.
NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew launched the sea rescue craft JLK Rescuer and a sea rescue vehicle, officers from the NMB Beach Office, members of Coastal Water Rescue and the SA Police Services responded.
Local Community Police Forum members joined the search.
Up to 50 people were deployed in this search effort.
Telkom Maritime Radio Services alerted all ships in the area to keep a look out and a Chokka fishing boat came in from fishing grounds and conducted sweeping line search patterns that were joined by the NSRI sea rescue craft with the 2 craft conducting coordinated sweeping line search efforts at sea and an extensive shore patrol was conducted.
The canoe and fishing gear were recovered from the shoreline.
It is believed that they were not wearing life jackets.
Despite an extensive sea and shoreline search along 3 km of coastline and 1 kilometer out to sea no sign of the father and his son has been found and a Police Dive Unit will continue in an ongoing search operation.
Calm sea conditions and a full moon aided an extensive search operation.
The Chokka fishing boat is commended for the extensive search effort assisting NSRI.
Police have opened an investigation and thoughts are with the family in this difficult time.
A Police Dive Unit will continue in an ongoing search and a Police K-9 Search and Rescue Unit, Police Sea Borderline and Coastal Water Rescue are on the scene assisting in a continuing search.
On Friday 21 Dec 2018 the CWR squad was activated after receiving reports that a boat had capsized in the Swartkops River near the railway bridge. On arrival it was established that it was a small 2 man boat with motor that had capsized. The occupants made it safely to shore, and a stand down was issued to the squad.
Services on scene: Coastal Water Rescue, BWBLSC, EMS, Beach Office, SAPS Divers, NSRI
On Monday 03 Dec 2018 at 13:39 a report was received from WERC that a drowning occurred in the Swartkops river near Sumcay.
CWR squad members were despatch to the scene to provide assistance to the emergency services already on scene. CWR squad members were deployed into the water to start a search and was shortly after joined by Beach Office lifeguards.
The search continued for almost an hour without any success, and the scene was handed over to the SAPS divers to continue with an underwater search.
On Saturday 1 December 2018 the CWR squad did a refresher CPR course. As we finished an alert came through from WERC (Water Emergency Rescue Committee) that there was a suicidal person on Brighton Pier, and was try to jump.
The lifeguards at Brighton Beach managed to secure the person at the end of the pier by holding onto him to prevent him from jumping.
The squad was not activated and only a few members were sent to the scene to provide assistance. Members geared up and went onto the pier ready to deploy into the water should the person manage to break free and jump off.
After a while, he was successfully negotiated off the pier and handed over to SAPS and EMS for medical attention.
On Wednesday 28 Nov 2018 CWR activated the squad at 15:25 after receiving reports of a drowning in progress in the Swartkops River.
On arrival it was established that two men attempted to cross the river, the one exited after entering but the other got into trouble in the middle.
A fisherman witness this and alerted the authorities.
CWR did an extensive search for almost one hour but unfortunately was not successful in locating the victim.
The CWR squad was activated at 14:10 after reports from WERC that there was a drowning in progress at the North End lake. On arrival CWR swimmers were immediately deployed into the water. Information from bystanders was that a group of young boys was playing near the water's edge, when one of them got into trouble, and the alarm was raised.
The body of the young boy was located following a water search. Once retrieved it was placed in a Gardmed ambulance and resuscitation was started by the paramedics.
Despite their extensive efforts was the resuscitation not a success.
