NSRI Autumn 2024 Magazine

LAND, AIR & SEA RESCUE NSRI BRINGS LOST HIKERS HOME

AUTUMN 2024

NSRI MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE

A comprehensive search and rescue is initiated for a group of hikers trapped in a gully on a popular Hout Bay hiking route.

28 LEADING THE WAY

Lifeguarding is just one of the ways the NSRI is pursuing its mission of drowning prevention.

32 NEW JETRIB FOR CAPE VIDAL

A valuable addition improves response times in a remote area.

34 STATION AND SPONSOR NEWS Station and Volunteer Support Centre news, and sponsor updates.

FROM THE HELM

So, after 40 years of Emergency Medicine and Emergency Service Management, and 36 years as a member of the NSRI, my career is finally drawing to a close. The NSRI Board announced my retirement in August 2024.

I grew up in Bakoven and so the NSRI was always part of my life. When I joined Station 8 in 1988 as a rookie doctor, my participation became very real and in the 1990s I became the Honorary Medical Advisor. Station 16 always joke about me being one of the older members because for years I’ve done an annual pilgrimage to their base to do the crew medical examinations. Over the years I’ve had plenty of contact with NSRI stations because of my role in the Emergency Medical Services. My EMS colleagues called me Dr Bob, because I spent so much time bobbing around the ocean for diving. So it wasn’t a surprise when I joined the NSRI full time in 2013 after Ian Wienburg retired.

The passion, dedication and commitment of everyone was immediately visible through people like Bill Wells, Gerry Staveres, Margaret McCullough and a band of only about 25 employees. Ian had painted a picture of a comfortable retirement job where I could sit with my feet up and relax. He was wrong! Peter Bacon, the Chairman of the Governance Board, was concerned about the economy and the sustainability of the organisation and I knew we had our work cut out for us.

At that time, the NSRI consisted of 800 or so volunteers across nearly 40 stations and a very small band of water safety educators across the country.

We had a small team, but we set about building the systems necessary. Today we have more than 50 stations across the country, 74 lifeguarded beaches, water safety and survival swimming teams in every province, a great fleet of more than 100 vessels, rescue vehicles, Survival Swimming Centres, Pink Rescue Buoys and almost 600 permanent and part-time staff. Saving more than 1 700 lives in the last year and teaching almost a million children about water safety – the socioeconomic impact is huge!

Every crew member will tell you there’s nothing more rewarding than looking into the eyes of the person you are about to save, reaching out to grab a hand and pulling them to safety. And it’s the same for us desk jockeys – the fulfilment comes from the knowledge that the systems we have built have saved lives.

I must also shout out to the donors, individual and corporate, who, through thick and thin, have seen us through some tough times. Thank you so much. Nothing is achieved without support, and so to friends, family and colleagues, thank you.

I wish my successors all the very best. I’m sure the NSRI will continue to be the safety net for South Africans anywhere near water and that the community will continue to support you.

As for me, well, I’ll be looking for another job. My wife will never let me sit around the house!

THE CREW

THE PUBLISHING

PARTNERSHIP

MANAGING EDITOR

Wendy Maritz

ART DIRECTOR Ryan Manning

COPY EDITOR

Deborah Rudman

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Bernice Blundell

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PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

John Morkel

ADDRESS

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FUNDRAISING AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

Janine van Stolk janine@searescue.org.za

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Bradley Seaton-Smith bradley@searescue.org.za

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Andrew Ingram andrewi@searescue.org.za

PRODUCED FOR THE NSRI BY The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018.

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LETTERS

THANKS FOR TAKING CONTROL

Hi Len, hi gentlemen and ladies, to say thank you doesn’t cut it, to be honest. I know the job description of what you do, but I can truly say, I see it more as you guys are facilitators, special spiritual beings that provide light in this world. To a cost that cannot be repaid and I just want to say thank you – as dull as it sounds from my side – for your efforts last night, taking the time, putting in the effort. Also for every time you train and rehearse and practise and drill. For that time, I felt so incredibly safe, comfortable and calm. And I didn’t have to try and control anything. I could see that you’re cohesive, positive, spirited and, can I say it, a bit mal. I really appreciate you all. This is something that will live in me for the rest of my life. And to say thank you –again – it doesn’t cover the way I feel and the gratitude I have. So, to all of you, I think of you, I pray for you, I acknowledge you all today. Each of you, as individuals, as a collective. Go well, thank you, you’re in my thoughts and prayers.

BRENDAN DU BRUYN

On 10 January, Brendan was swept down the Jukskei River in his vehicle during a flash flood. He managed to get himself to safety on a rock, after which various emergency services were alerted to assist. SAPS divers and swift-water rescue swimmers from Station 27 (Gauteng) helped him to safety using safety ropes, anchor points and throw lines. (Read the full story on page 8.)

GREETINGS (AND A STORY)

FROM GLASGOW

[Addressed to CEO Dr Cleeve Robertson]

I was born in Nassau in the Bahamas where my late parents owned the Royal Victoria Hotel. Then my father found a house for sale in Glasgow. So we came to Scotland in the 1950s, and he turned the house into a hotel. Then he and my stepmum retired to Crieff in beautiful Perthshire. My real mother died in Glasgow before we came to Crieff. On 14 April 1994 my father passed away, and in January 2000 my step mum passed away.

SEEING A RESCUE UNFOLD

I had a little job here at a fibreglass factory making cutters and drop clips for roofs until it was burnt down.

Then I had to get a hobby of some sort. I saw a small British Military Police badge in a shop and I told my dad how much it was (this was in the 1980s), and he said, ‘If you want it, go and buy it.’ And that’s how my badge collection started. Then one day in the Sunday Post I read about a retired policeman who lived down at Burnside near Glasgow who collected police badges, patches, etc, and I started to exchange doubles with him.

The local paper did a piece on me and my badges. Ihen I got a job at the Crieff Hydro Riding School doing pony rides for the kids and mucking out the stables. I enjoyed it and retired in 2015, after 17 years.

I go to the local library often and search the Internet for addresses to write to for badges for my collections and that’s where I found your address.

Thank you for the patch. Please find a couple of photos of my badges enclosed. Your Scottish friend, JOHN D GORRIE

While standing on a friend’s deck in Rooi Els, we heard an emergency whistle and saw a person on an inflatable SUP being taking out by a receding tide and a stiff southeaster. He’d given up paddling and was lying on the board. We called the NSRI number and I described what was going on. That was around 12h20.

By the time we lost sight of him, NSRI vehicles from Kleinmond had arrived on the cliffs and had eyes on him there. He was a good couple of kilometres out, and not visible to us.

Friends went down to Rooi Els beach and found his friends who had not realised he was in trouble. Turned out he had a phone with him and they were able to raise him and got coms with the NSRI. Apparently he had some dolphins for company, but wasn’t too happy.

They then took the time to message us that he’d been picked up by the boat and got him to the slipway – that was around 14h40. Excellent.

Remember, the NSRI is completely funded by donations and volunteers; they get no government grants or funds. They arrange a lot of fundraising throughout the year – and you can get apparel too. Please support them.

Thanks again to Brian who took the time to call me to inform me it was a happy ending. Great stuff guys.

ALEX WHEELER (via Facebook)

NSRI GEAR

Our new store at the V&A Waterfront is always open to visitors. Our new range includes hats, hoodies and sportswear that can be ordered online as well. Profits go to kitting out our crew.

Short sleeved Tee

Charcoal, 100% cotton

Cap with 3D Rescue logo Blue, with buckle closure

Soft-shell combo jacket

Navy and grey, with side pockets and hood R980

SWIFT-WATER TRAINING PAYS OFF

In two separate incidents cars were washed off low-lying bridges during excessive flooding in Gauteng and KZN. NSRI crew, trained in swift-water rescue, were called to the scenes. Their knowledge and expertise proved invaluable in saving three lives. By Cherelle Leong

The start of 2024 has seen unusually high levels of rainfall in both Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The ongoing rain kept rivers swollen, frequently bursting their banks with each new downpour. Even in areas where it hadn’t rained that day, flash floods occurred as the water found its way downstream. Streams quickly became raging torrents and low-level bridges particularly dangerous.

Due to the increase in flooding incidents, Sea Rescue crew in these areas have been trained in swift-water rescue techniques. These are valuable lifesaving skills, as was demonstrated by two separate incidents involving vehicles being washed away by flooded rivers in January 2024.

On 2 January at 16h56, NSRI Durban duty controller Paul Bevis received a phone call from the local SAPS Search and Rescue Commander. A vehicle with two people inside had been swept off the Midway Crossing Bridge of the Umgeni River, KwaDabeka, near to F Section. They were trapped inside the vehicle in the midst of the fast-flowing river. Several rescue resources were on scene, but they hadn’t been able to find a way to safely reach the casualties. It was getting late and more rescue resources were required. NSRI Durban had been involved in several successful rescues in flooding scenarios. The commander knew the crew were trained in swift-water rescue and could assist.

Paul drove directly to the scene, while activating the station to bring additional resources. They’d need ropes and the rescue raft, as well as experienced crew to assist with rescue efforts. On arrival he asked for a few minutes to assess the situation while he received an update from the unit commander. The river was at least 80m wide with fast-flowing water. The low-lying bridge was knee-deep under water, but had strong concrete pillars that could be used to secure anchor points. Large stone gabions further downstream provided a solid platform and secondary anchor point to work from. The vehicle

was lodged in rocks about 120m downstream from the bridge with the water flowing up to window height. Working downstream from the bridge would be the easiest way to access it. That way the rescue crew could use the swift current to their advantage.

TOP

When the Sea Rescue mobile and additional senior crew arrived on scene, a briefing was held so that everyone understood their role. Once the Sea Rescue crew had the anchoring and winch system securely set up on the bridge, they would use lines to lower the rescue raft, with a Metro SAR crewman on board, towards the vehicle. A team of 12 took up positions on the bridge. Lowering the raft wasn’t too difficult as the river did most of the work. Still, a slow, methodical approach was needed. The lines were long and there was the risk of them getting entangled. Three people managed the excess lines, while the rest slowly worked the raft downstream. The only challenge was that once the raft got closer to the vehicle, lodged in the rocks, the current started pulling it away from the vehicle. To counter this, a second line was attached to the raft with a second team moving off to one side of the bridge to steer the raft in the right direction. The Metro SAR member in the

LEFT AND ABOVE Rescuers from Station 5 (Durban) assist two casualties trapped in their vehicle on the Umgeni River at KwaDabeka. Both casulties were brought to safety successfully.

raft also had a paddle which he used to get closer to the casualties.

The plan was to extract them one by one, with the woman first. She was handed a lifejacket to don before climbing into the raft. To her credit she remained calm and the team started to haul them back up to the bridge. It took nine people working against the current to get the raft back to the bridge. Once there, the woman was helped out of the raft and brought to shore by three crew working together, ensuring that no one lost their footing. By the time she was handed over to the waiting ambulance to be medically assessed, the raft had already been lowered a second time to extract the second casualty. Once on board, the team on the bridge once again worked together to haul the raft upstream. It was only once the man had also been handed over to the paramedics that the rescue crew could start recovering the lines. It had been a massive team effort with all rescue resources working effortlessly together.

Bystanders had witnessed the incident and called for help. Multiple emergency services responded including Gauteng Emergency Services (GEMS), SAPS Search and Rescue, SARZA Search and Rescue, and ER24 Ambulance.

Just eight days later a similar incident happened on the Jukskei River near Centurion, Gauteng. A local man was attempting to cross a low-lying bridge that was under water when his vehicle was swept off by the strong current. Fortunately, when he’d entered the water, he’d made the decision to open his window. As the swirling waters spun the vehicle around, he managed to escape through it and swim towards some rocks that were just below the water line.

The area where the incident occurred was not easy to access. It was on a bend in the river in the middle of three farms. In order to get from one side of the river to the other without crossing it required more than an hour’s detour through farmlands. The emergency services had responded to the side of the river that they thought would provide them with the easiest access to the casualty. He was closer to the shoreline but because of the bend in the river, the current was significantly stronger. As the day wore on, three attempts were made to reach the casualty using lines, but each time the rescuers were washed downstream.

It was at 19h12 that Gauteng NSRI were activated and asked to assist. Knowing the difficulty that the rescue teams were having in getting to the casualty, the NSRI crew decided to head to the other side of the

Crews regularly train in swift-water rescue techniques, preparing them for these kinds of scenarios.

river. They’d towed their 4,2m RIB, in case it was needed. But on arrival they discovered that they couldn’t even get their vehicles close to the shoreline. There’d be no launching the RIB. Instead, they loaded up the ropes and swift-water rescue gear and headed 30m down a footpath to a clearing on the river bank. The tall trees that prevented access redeemed themselves by doubling up as strong anchor points.

While the water level was steadily dropping, there was a powerful flow of water to wade through. The casualty was still perched on top of the rocks he’d grabbed onto earlier, patiently waiting for rescue. It was now fully dark and the Sea Rescue crew worked with headlamps, setting up the anchor points and assigning tasks. One crew person went downriver, together with a SAPS member, to act as downriver safety. Two crew waded into the water towards the casualty, while the remaining two crew remained on shore to manage the lines. The casualty was about 30m from the bank, but the rescue crew had to deploy 70m further upstream. Working together, carefully

The Juskei River turned into a raging torrent. The driver of this vehicle managed to get to some rocks where he waited for Gauteng crew to rescue him.

finding their footing before taking the next step, and at times chest-deep in the water, the rescue crew inched their way to the rocks where the casualty was waiting.

The expression on the casualty’s face when they reached him was a combination of relief and surprise. While he knew that rescue was on the way, he hadn’t expected to see the NSRI – the nearest base was over an hour away. The crew had with them an extra lifejacket which they helped the casualty to put on. Then, working together and assisted by the crew on the shore managing the lines, they worked their way through the swift current, back to the river bank.

Once on shore the casualty was assessed by ER24 paramedics and was later released to go home. He was tired and wet, but otherwise uninjured. More than anything he was extremely grateful to be able to leave the rocky perch he’d been sitting on for more than four hours, surrounded by muddy, swirling water.

It was close to midnight when the rescue was concluded. After packing up all the equipment, the NSRI crew still had a long drive home. But it had been worth it. All their swift-water training had paid off. Even though the water level was dropping, the flow of the river was still strong. Having anchor lines in place and knowing how to move together through the current made all the difference. Their ability to assess the risks and know how to respond in a methodical way resulted in a successful rescue in very challenging conditions.

It had a been an idyllic summer’s day in St Francis. Not a breath of wind and blue sunny skies. At 22h36 the duty phone rang. Station commander Sara Smith could hardly believe it. A callout? On a night like this? Had it been the howling westerly from yesterday, it would have been understandable. Or even the relentless easterly from the previous week. Those were the conditions in which they usually got callouts. But that night it was still, and the air remained calm and balmy.

But the phone call revealed that there was indeed an emergency. A trawler had

run aground at Shark Point, a rocky outcrop between St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis, and there were 24 lives at risk. On an average day, the rocky shoreline would be assailed by breaking waves in multiple directions, making it a very challenging area to operate in.

It was unclear how close to the shoreline the trawler was, so the decision was made to launch both vessels. If the trawler was hard aground, it would be in shallow water and Spirit of St Francis 3 would not be able to get close. Sara responded in her private vehicle and walked the last 2km from the

24 CREW TAKEN TO SAFETY

NSRI St Francis Bay crew had their hands full assisting to evacuate crew from a trawler run aground. Calm conditions and crew experience resulted in a successful night-time rescue of all 24 crew. Cherelle Leong shares the story.

parking lot to Shark Point. Other emergency services had also been activated and it would be easiest to co-ordinate efforts from there.

The Mayday had been broadcast on Channel 16 and vessels in the area had been asked to divert and assist if possible. A local chokka fishing vessel, Nomvula, and other commercial vessels had responded and were standing by. It was too shallow for any of the larger vessels to come alongside the casualty without risking running aground themselves.

Realising that they were hard aground, the captain of the casualty vessel made the decision to abandon ship. To their credit, all of the fishermen onboard had donned lifejackets and calmly started to deploy the life rafts, which remained tethered to the stricken vessel.

Arriving on scene, Spirit of St Francis 3 found the casualty vessel hard aground on a low tide. The life rafts had slipped in behind the wreck and were inaccessible. Crew set about establishing a line to the two life rafts to tow them out to deeper water. Once safely clear of the wreck, the casualties were transferred onboard Spirit of St Francis 3. The captain and one crewman remained onboard the wreck and

The shoreline at Shark Point, situated between St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis, is characterised by stretches of rocks. Running aground in this area not only poses a danger to crew and vessel, but also potentially to the environment, depending on fuel levels and cargo.

a decision was made to extract them using the JetRib. While this does not normally operate at night, in these circumstances the vessel would be a critical part of the rescue operations. It is highly manoeuvrable and can operate in relatively shallow water.

The rescue vessels were being manned by a number of Station 21’s most senior crew. They knew the area well, had trained and operated on this rocky shoreline before, and knew where potential risks were most likely to come from. Usually, it would be the confused seas and breaking waves; on this night, though, the waters were calm and the nearby chokka boats had their massive spotlights trained on the casualty, providing valuable illumination.

A number of commercial vessels responded to assist. Having their spotlights illuminating the rescue scene aided operations considerably.

The plan to extract the remaining fishermen with the JetRib was communicated to the casualty. The fishermen lined up on the railing ready to climb down the metal ladder on the side of the vessel. Spirit of St Francis 3 stood off at a distance while the JetRib came alongside and then reversed so that the stern was at the base of the ladder. All the fishermen had to do was step down onto the back of the vessel. The lack of big swell made this relatively easy. They were taken onboard Moi (a private ski boat skippered by Shaun Bosch). With all casualties safe, the rescue vessels and Moi returned to the harbour at St Francis Bay.

After dropping off the casualties at the harbour, Spirit of St Francis 3 had gone back out to recover the two drifting life rafts so that they wouldn’t present a navigational hazard.

For Sara, what stood out about the rescue operation was how well executed it was. Everyone was calm and once a plan was formulated, the rescue crews simply got on with what needed to be done.

In the debrief, the crew talked through the operation, analysing the decisions that had been made, which ultimately led to an efficient and successful rescue. A key element was that there had been mostly senior crew involved. But this wouldn’t always be the case. As much as the operation had benefited from senior crew knowledge, that knowledge needed to be passed on to the younger crew members.

Since then, on the crew’s own initiative there has been specific training and

The fishermen lined up on the railing ready to climb down the metal ladder on the side of the vessel. Spirit of St Francis 3 stood off at a distance while the JetRib came alongside and then reversed so that the stern was at the base of the ladder.

St Francis Bay crew returned to the stricken vessel to retrieve the life rafts. The base became the centre of operations for salvage and environmental follow-up procedures.

discussions around the factors that go into decision-making on a rescue. Station 21 regularly trains with the chokka fleet, practising how to come alongside vessels and how to safely extract casualties. On this particular rescue, the conditions had been calm, but that was an anomaly; usually operations are carried out in high winds and choppy seas. The crew needs to understand the risks and how to read the conditions in order to make sound decisions in the moment. This would ensure that future operations would be similarly successful.

Meanwhile, there was the matter of a vessel aground and the potential of an environmental disaster on a stretch of near-pristine natural coastline. In the weeks that followed, Station 21’s base would become the incident command centre from where the salvage and environmental management operations would be managed. The vessel had only been at sea for three days and still had a full load of fuel. Helicopters were brought in to remove

the fuel and an environmental containment vessel stood by to assess any environmental damage. SAMSA investigators would also use the base to gather information on the incident.

The swift and co-ordinated efforts of all of these stakeholders have resulted in salvage efforts already getting underway, as they work to remove the wreck from the shoreline.

For Sara, the overriding memory of the operation is how effortlessly everyone worked together. It’s a testimony to the professionalism of the volunteer rescue crew, especially seeing how well they’re respected by other rescue organisations.

Ongoing training ensures that knowledge is being passed down to more junior crew so that station commanders like Sara can be confident when launching for an operation. Not only on a calm, clear night, but also in the stormiest of seas. When rescue crew and coxswains are confident in their abilities, the conditions won’t matter.

CHARL COETZEE

WATER SAFETY IN ACTION

Every day, NSRI water safety instructors visit schools around the country to teach children what to do in case of an emergency in the water. And when we hear that the children have put into practice what they have learnt to save a family member or friend, we know the message is hitting home. This is one such story.

By Andrew Ingram

NSRI drowning prevention instructor

Eoudia Erasmus has taught water safety to Boland children since 2006. She was the first professional NSRI water safety instructor in what is now a huge team of over 40 people who visit schools in their area in all nine provinces.

Often, Eoudia starts her water safety lesson by asking how many children can swim. Usually, almost all the children put their hands up. Then she asks, ‘And if the water is as deep as the ceiling, how many of you can swim?’ And invariably, all the hands go down.

The children play in farm dams and rivers, and they interpret this as being able to swim. Still, if they get out of their depth and are unable to get back to the shallows,

Jaymio Barends, 12, rescued his nephew Roderick Koopman, 9, using four empty wine containers tied together with rope. While playing in a Rawsonville farm dam, Roderick got into difficulty when he could no longer stand.

this often results in a drowning, and sometimes in two children drowning as an older child tries to rescue a younger child.

Eoudia was giving her water safety lesson to an intermediate group of primary school children in Rawsonville, near Worcester, and, as she often does, she asked them if anyone was ever in a situation where a friend got into difficulty in the water. The children in the group pointed out 12-year-old Jaymio Barends.

Jaymio told of going to a farm dam with a group of children, including his nephew Roderick Koopman, 9, who he said he rescued by throwing him four empty 5-litre Late Harvest wine containers tied together with rope. Watching his face carefully and the reaction of those around him convinced Eoudia that Jaymio was telling the truth, and she asked him to stay behind after the lesson so that she could ask him more about the incident.

Jaymio recounted how the children go down to the dam when it is hot, and that they always take the 5-litre kanne with them to float on and, as Eoudia had taught them, to use if one of their group got into difficulty. On this day Roderick slipped in the water and suddenly could no longer stand. Jaymio was able to throw the kanne to him and pull him back into shallow water.

Eoudia found out that Roderick attended a school about a 10-minute drive from Jaymio’s school, and she decided to go there to hear his story.

Roderick sits on a chair and fidgets. His feet are shoeless and covered in playground dust. He tells how he slipped back into deeper water and could no longer stand, and he demonstrates how he desperately slapped the water surface with his arms.

Eoudia asks, ‘Did you shout for help?’

He responds that he could not shout; his voice had gone away. Roderick shows how Jaymio threw the kanne to him and pulled him to safety.

‘And then what?’ asks Eoudia.

‘I went home. I was scared,’ comes the quiet reply.

This story is not uncommon. A paper titled ‘Children Reporting Rescuing Other Children Drowning in Rural Bangladesh: A Descriptive Study’ was published in 2014 by Tom Mecrow, et al. The authors record 188 rescues in three groups of children, with the highest rate of rescues in the 12to 14-year age group. They wrote: ‘Most

Water safety instructor Eoudia Erasmus talks to young Roderick Koopman who explains how he slipped into the water, unable to call for help.

rescues took place in ponds or ditches within 10m of the bank. Most victims had entered the water to bathe … and most reported rescues (90%) were conducted with the rescuer in the water, half requiring the rescuer to swim.’

Their conclusion was that

‘Children report frequent drowning rescues of younger children in rural Bangladesh. Most reported are contact rescues with the rescuer in the water. Formal training for in-water rescue techniques may be needed to reduce the risk to the child rescuer.’

This is exactly what the NSRI watersafety instructors have been doing since Eoudia helped to pioneer the programme in 2006.

Using real experiences of the NSRI rescue crews who respond to what they call a ‘drowning in progress’, a practical course was developed to teach children how to safely help a friend in difficulty, call for help, and do CPR.

‘It was very special listening to Jaymio and Roderick’s story,’ says Eoudia. ‘I believe that our presentations and demonstrations do save lives. When I hear a story like this, I know that we are really making a difference.’

‘If one child’s life can be saved … how valuable is that?’ she asks.

KIDS’ CLUB KIDS’ CLUB

How many words can you make from the letters in the word wheel? The biggest word is BIRTHDAY!

WORD WORD wheel

We’re started for you:

Jacqui Penkin Biess, owner of Charly’s Bakery in Cape Town shared the bakery’s wonderful creation. This is for her grandson’s birthday. Happy birthday, Max! We hope you had a great day! B I R T H D A Y

Did you get at least 10 words? Compare your words with the list below. Did you get any that we didn’t?

hybrid, birth, dairy, diary, dirty, hardy, habit, hairy, third, airy, arty, bait, bath, bird, dirt, drat, tidy, tray, yard, aid, air, bad, bar, art, bay, day, bid, bit, had, hat, hid, hit, rad, rat, and, ray, try

BY NUMBERS BY NUMBERS

Enjoy bringing this Pink Rescue Buoy to life by following the colour key.

NSRI’s Pink Rescue Buoys have saved more than 180 lives.

You’ll find them on beaches and at dams around the country.

1. What is the Pink Rescue Buoy used for?

2. What emergency number will you find on the buoy?

3. What must you do after the buoy has been used?

BETWEEN A ROCK…

A comprehensive search and rescue was called for after a group of hikers became trapped in a gully on a popular hiking route above Hout Bay.

By Cherelle Leong

At 17h48 on Saturday 2 December, Hout Bay station commander Spencer Oldham received a call from the local Community Crime Prevention (CCP) office. CCP had logged a call from hikers who’d lost their way on the coastal trail between Sandy Bay and Hout Bay. There were three hikers and a dog, and all were exhausted and dehydrated. That, a name and number, and a pin

of their last known location was all the information that anyone had to go on. The phone battery had died before any more details could be obtained.

Even though it was high summer and the weather was good in terms of visibility, there was limited daylight left. Noone knew exactly where the hikers were, except that it was an area with a rocky shoreline and steep cliffs. Short of a heli-

Skymed flies off to return to the gully to rescue the male casulty and his dog.

copter extraction, it was going to be a very challenging rescue operation.

As the Hout Bay crew were activated, additional rescue resources were notified. This included Metro Emergency Services, Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) and CCP. A request was also made to Skymed for a helicopter. The priority was locating the hikers and confirming they were OK. Despite good visibility, there was less than two hours of daylight left. The area to search was also vast. Albie Matthews and the station’s JetRib Spirit of Gabi launched to start a shoreline search at around 18h15 and 18h20 respectively.

The

priority was locating the hikers and confirming they were OK. Despite good visibility, there was less than two hours of daylight left.

An approximate location had been calculated based on the hikers’ lastknown location. Coxswain Paul Leong on Albie Matthews conducted a sweep of the shoreline while crew kept a sharp lookout higher up the mountainside. Coxswain Renier Combrink manned the JetRib, but the 2-3m swells and breaking waves prevented him from getting too close to the shoreline.

It had been hoped that the vessels could drop at least one rescue swimmer on shore to meet up with the hikers. This would enable the crews to have direct communication with the group as well as provide them with food and water. But the sea conditions between Duiker Island and the Boss400 wreck are known as ‘The Washing Machine’ for a reason. The steep cliffs and massive boulders on the shoreline push back the crashing waves in all directions, creating unpredictable swells. Getting close enough to drop a rescue swimmer would be challenging and there’d be no guarantee they’d safely make it to shore. Paul decided not to attempt to deploy a rescue swimmer at that time, believing it to be too dangerous. There was less than an hour of daylight remaining and the casualties had still not been located on the mountainside.

At 19h12, Spencer received good news. The Skymed helicopter had become available. They were routing to their Pinelands base to fetch a rescue technician and would be inbound to Hout Bay shortly.

Out at sea, the two rescue vessels had separated, with Albie Matthews doing a sweeping line north towards the Boss400 while Spirit of Gabi combed the area closer to Duiker Island. As Albie Matthews was returning to meet up with the Jetrib once again, a shout went up from the crew: ‘There! I see them! They’re in that gully.’ Later it was revealed that the hikers had seen the JetRib and decided to leave the trail and try make their way to shore.

It was 19h24 when the radio in the operations room broadcast: ‘Rescue 8 Base from 8 Alpha on channel zero, we’ve located the casualties.’

‘Rescue 8 Alpha from 8 Base, keep eyes on them. Skymed is inbound.’

Less than two minutes later the thump of helicopter blades announced Skymed’s

In

the waning daylight, the pilot expertly positioned the helicopter at the top of the gully. There were mere metres on either side of the spinning blades as he hovered in position. This was precision flying at its best. Rescue technicians were cautiously lowered on a winch to the point where the hikers were located.

arrival. With no direct radio communication with the helicopter, Paul turned the bow of Albie Matthews towards the casualties, to indicate where they were located. The hikers had got themselves into a fairly precarious position halfway down the steep gully. It towered 7-8 storeys above them with steep sloping sides. The helicopter wouldn’t be able to land anywhere near them; they’d need to be hoisted to safety.

In the waning daylight, the pilot expertly positioned the helicopter at the top of the gully. There were mere metres on either side of the spinning blades as he hovered in position. This was precision flying at its best. Rescue technicians were cautiously lowered on a winch to the point where the hikers were located. They wasted no time in getting the two ladies ready to be hoisted up into the helicopter. Within minutes the winch was hauling them up again. Once they were safely onboard, the pilot broke away and headed back to Hout Bay to drop them off.

An area had been cleared in the base parking for the landing zone. Daylight was almost gone and the helicopter still had to return for the remaining casualties and technicians. The stop was brief. The casualties were quickly offloaded and taken into the base as the helicopter rose once more into the orange sky. Albie Matthews was still on scene, keeping the remaining casualty and his dog in sight. The JetRib had been tasked to return to base. The sun was dipping below the horizon and it would be a matter of minutes before the mountain would be shrouded in darkness.

‘Would there be enough light to hoist the last casualty off the mountain? And

what if they couldn’t?’ These were the thoughts running through Paul’s mind. The idea of deploying crew to shore, then activating WSAR to hike them off the mountain in the dark was not appealing – especially as the man and his dog were already tired and dehydrated.

In no time at all Skymed was back on scene. In the encroaching darkness it had to use its spotlights to complete the second hoist. It was in darkening shadows that the casualties were delivered to Hout Bay base.

With all casualties safe, Albie Matthews also returned to base. After the vessels had been rehoused, the crew huddled for a debrief. It had been a slick operation, primarily thanks to Skymed’s availability and expert flying. It was very fortunate they became available and were on scene mere minutes after the casualties had been located.

Even pinpointing the hikers’ possible location and area to search hadn’t been easy. Spencer and duty controller Franco Viotti referred to knowledge gained from previous operations, and plotted a likely position on a chart. But it was only a starting point. The hikers could have moved anywhere along or off the trail. This is what makes searches like this one so challenging. The area where the hikers had got stuck was a dangerous one. Steep terrain and few obvious trails made it very easy to get lost. Also, one mis-step and they could have been seriously hurt.

To the casualties, their rescue seemed miraculous. One of the women was overcome with tears. ‘Thank you, thank you,’ she repeated over and over again. Imagine being able to see the rescue boats but not know how to reach them. Thanks to an efficient combined effort, the group could sleep safely in their beds that night.

The first group of casualties was dropped off after being successfully hoisted off the mountain trail.

If a success story could be told by numbers, then this is one of them. In 2017 the NSRI launched its pilot Lifeguard Unit at Station 18 in Melkbosstrand. By the end of that year, there were two units; by the end of 2018, there were five. The unit expanded its reach to the West Coast and Garden Route, clocking 11, 20 and 31 sites at the end of the following three years. On 3 November 2023 there were a total of 69 registered beaches, and by 10 December, 74.

Rebecca Carter-Smith became a member of the Lifeguard team at NSRI’s Volunteer Support Centre in 2021 and joined Station 9 in Gordon’s Bay where she is currently a crew member and training Class 4 coxswain. She and Mthetheleli Kweyama now manage the Lifeguard Unit, with Mthe newly appointed to the KwaZulu-Natal region, the idea being to expand operations along this coastline.

So, to what does she attribute the remarkable growth of the lifeguarding

LEADING THE WAY

NSRI’s Lifeguarding Unit is one way the organisation is proactively approaching drowning prevention. We take a look at the growth of this initiative, and how the NSRI as a whole is leading the way in its rescue and preventive services.

By Wendy Maritz

footprint? ‘One of the main things has been that we have remained very flexible in our approach,’ she says. ‘We have a wide range of people signing up to be lifeguards; some are from private schools, and others from communities where there is no pool in sight. We’ll train you even if you have zero swimming experience. We’ll show you the ropes, however long it takes. We do have a programme, but we don’t move onto the next task or proficiency level until the previous one has been completed. We don’t just want to see that you can swim out, but that you can swim out, bring a casualty back, and take care of them – with love and respect – on the beach.’

Another important aspect of the development of lifeguarding units along previously unlifeguarded beaches is the collaboration with local ‘talent’. Locals have an advantage because they know

Many of the lifeguard stations have been set up on beaches where there is an NSRI station in the vicinity. In this way, the lifeguards and stations support each other.

the beaches, environment and communities, and it’s great to be able to rely on this local knowledge when selecting people for the lifeguarding training programme. In addition, if these lifeguards are municipal, they have a paid job that extends for the season.

NSRI station support has also proved invaluable. Many of the lifeguard stations have been set up on beaches where there is an NSRI station in the vicinity. In this way, the lifeguards and stations support each other. Rebecca gives an example from last season. ‘One of the lifeguards noticed a paddler being pulled out to sea

by strong winds. The lifeguard knew he was quite capable of reaching the casualty but was concerned that the very same wind would prevent him from returning. So, he made a call to the NSRI station, explained the situation and asked for backup. He paddled out to the casualty, and sat with him, chatting to him, and reassuring him until help arrived.’

It works both ways. NSRI station crew know the beach is in safe hands, and lifeguards know that if assistance is necessary, it is available. ‘It’s not just the six lifeguards on the beach. When the duty crew are on station, there are many more people in the wings if required, and the station commander will also check up on the lifeguards. This mutual support is invaluable,’ Rebecca adds.

Over the years, the team has seen a significant reduction in drownings over the

holiday season. One beach on the Garden Route had suffered four fatal drownings over the previous season. This season, there were none, and Rebecca attributes this to the synergy that is developing between the lifeguard units, the stations and the local communities.

The success of the lifeguard programme would not have been possible without the buy-in from individual municipalities, which already have seen and experienced the value of having an NSRI station in a particular area. The added security to beachgoers by way of having lifeguards on beaches is a natural extension of this. Municipalities, in most cases, have budgets to fund lifeguard services over the season, and by working with them and developing relationships with them, the NSRI has been able to establish the units as a permanent seasonal fixture. The NSRI trains

TAKING CARE OF THE BEFORE AND THE AFTER

This lifeguarding story should be told in conjunction with another one though: the NSRI’s vision to create a water-safe nation. As a traditionally rescue-oriented service, the NSRI has seen its fair share of drownings, and in many cases, preventable ones. The desire to educate the country, especially its vulnerable youth, began in 2006 in the form of the then WaterWise programme, which has since evolved into the NSRI’s Water Safety Education arm, represented in all nine provinces in South Africa. Each day, somewhere in the country, a water-safety educator is addressing a school class,

teaching life-saving awareness and skills around water safety and CPR.

Drowning prevention provided the impetus for the Lifeguard Unit, and subsequent Survival Swimming programme (and portable swimming centres housed in shipping containers), the Beach Safety Camera project (monitored 24/7 by NSRI’s Emergency Operations Centre) and the Pink Rescue Buoy initiative (with whose help 180 lives have been saved).

During the last 10 to 15 years, the NSRI has evolved from being a rescue service to a proactive, pre-emptive organisation that actively shapes and manages

them, and the municipalities employ them, which is a real win-win situation.

A byproduct of the lifeguarding initiative is the interest that lifeguards show in continuing to be available to the stations for rescue-swimmer duties, not just during season. ‘We do tell our lifeguards about the NSRI and volunteering, and we’ve had a nice pick up in Jeffreys Bay with our community lifeguard development project.

situations rather than simply responding after they have occurred.

As Rebecca says, ‘We’re taking care of the before and the after. The various teams within Drowning Prevention are going to the communities, showing them how to recognise danger, and what to do when they are in danger. We have detection by way of beach safety cameras in high-risk locations, and the EOC that activates resources. And we have the ‘after’ care; the NSRI will always keep searching.’

‘The NSRI has never settled on a status quo. If someone comes up with a great idea, it doesn’t end there. Take Andrew Ingram, for instance: he thought of the Pink Rescue Buoy initiative, he didn’t

LEFT NSRI Lifeguards at Arniston train using an automated external defibrillator, a bag valve mask and a CPR mannequin.

PREVIOUS PAGE NSRI Lifeguard Revan Kennedy on duty.

Once they’ve finished their course, we introduce them to a bit of fun stuff like boatwork, caring for assets, and so on. And some are keen to integrate into the station. From the station’s side, they realise that once someone has done the rescue swimmer course, they have a basic set of rescue skills, including first aid, they can read the surf conditions and are comfortable in the surf, which is what you want from your crew. And they’re fit!’ Rebecca explains.

stop after that. He found a way to make portable swimming pools, and then found ways to improve their design. We always ask, “How can we do better?”’

None of this is possible without community buy-in – from the donors who support the NSRI financially and the volunteers who give of their time to the schools that embrace the water safety lessons and community leaders who open their doors to chat about ways to assist or offer land on which to build a rescue base (as happened in Mdumbi on the Wild Coast recently).

Thank you to our valued sponsors and supporters for allowing us always to do better.

NEW JETRIB FOR CAPE VIDAL

Thanks to the valuable addition of a JetRib at St Lucia’s auxiliary station at Cape Vidal, response times and rescue capacity for surf rescue in this remote area have been greatly improved. By Wendy Maritz

When station 40 (St Lucia) station commander Jan Hofman is asked what difference the addition of a JetRib makes to the service at their auxiliary station at Cape Vidal, he gives a one-word answer. ‘Huge!’ They recently launched to assist a jetski owner whose vessel had broken down, as well as a group of four people whose boat had flipped in the surf.

The quick launch capability of the JetRib and its holding capacity of at least four people (including crew) are just two of the reasons why they are proving invaluable at NSRI stations – especially those whose main focus is on beachgoers who end up in difficulty due to rip currents, for example. In St Lucia itself over the season, Jan’s

wife Fiona launched with a crew member to assist a family of three, who were separated by a strong rip that began pulling them out to sea. A local swimmer managed to reach one casualty and bring her to shore, while Fiona assisted the other two members of the family.

Having the JetRib at Cape Vidal means that response time is reduced from 25 minutes to as long as it takes to launch. This time difference for someone in trouble in the water is massive. Cape Vidal is situated roughly 32km from St Lucia, but because it is within a reserve, the speed limit is low, which accounts for the roughly half an hour it takes to get there.

The station at Cape Vidal is a simple wooden shed, but it’s large enough to

OUR GRATEFUL THANKS TO:

Robin van Rensburg, Managing Director, Yamaha Distributors SA; Melvin Victor, General Manager Marine, Yamaha Distributors; Alan Geeling and David Droomer, Sea Genesis (Pty) Ltd

house the new addition, which has been named Sea Ranger and was sponsored by Sea Genesis, Droomers Yamaha and Yamaha SA. The station also acquired an all-terrain vehicle, which has put it firmly on the map in terms of being an operational entity. Jorg Orban and James Wood, both deputies at St Lucia, run the station: James, an environmental office for KZN Wildlife, lives in Cape Vidal. With the JetRib and ATV, crew are equipped to respond more swiftly and efficiently to callouts in the area.

The idea is to recruit more members to join the station, Jan says of Cape Vidal’s

Pink Rescue Buoy Award

This award was given to Keegan Hughes and Phillip Nel for rescuing a man who had been carried 200m off the Sodwana beach at 13h00 on 4 November 2023.

On that day, Keegan and Phillip were kiteboarding and noticed that a man had been pulled out by a rip current that had developed inside the reef due to the wave action and a 20-knot north-easterly wind pushing into the bay.

When the two spotted him, he was off the main beach at the end point of the

plans. For now, they are fully operational, and extend heartfelt thanks to the teams at Yamaha SA, Droomers Yamaha and Sea Genesis for the generous donation. ‘It’s been a phenomenal collaboration,’ says Alison Droomer of Droomers Yamaha, ‘and we’re pleased to contribute further to the NSRI’s work.

Thanks to generous donations, 37 NSRI stations around the country have been equipped with a JetRib. Five more are planned for 2024. If you would like to donate funds towards our JetRib programme, please visit givengain.com/ campaign/the-jetrib--a-new-generation-of-rescue-craft

reef and was close to drowning. Phillip stayed with the casualty while Keegan raced back to the beach, fetched a Pink Rescue Buoy, and swam out to them. Together, Keegan and Phillip rescued the man, got him onto the beach, placed him in the recovery position, and called the local authorities for help.

Your quick thinking and ability to effect a rescue saved a man’s life, the 158th person we know of who was rescued with the help of a Pink Rescue Buoy. We salute you!

Jan Hofman beside the ATV that Cape Vidal acquired along with its new JetRib. Both will greatly reduce response times for callouts in the area.

JETRIB FOR STATION 44

STATION 44 (St Helena Bay) is the latest station to benefit from the addition of a JetRib to its fleet. The JetRib, named Spirit of Santam II, was funded by Santam. Devon Wild (left) receives the keys from NSRI Operations Manager Bruce Sandmann. Our grateful thanks to Santam for their generosity.

SPIRIT OF KENTON BLESSED

ON the morning of Saturday 16 December, at the Round Table Clubhouse on Middle Beach at Kenton-on-Sea, the new NSRI JetRib Spirit of Kenton was named and blessed.

Guests were welcomed by station commander Chris Pike, who then handed over to Rotary president Vaughn Nesbit. ‘This project is the culmination of a 12-month journey to establish the NSRI here at Kenton-on-Sea,’ Vaughn said, adding

that establishing this station would never have been possible without the generous donations made by numerous people and organisations within the community. ‘We, as Rotary, will continue to support this station and other initiatives such as water safety. We look forward to a long collaboration with the NSRI,’ he added.

NSRI Regional Representative Ian Gray thanked Round Table for making the venue available, Rotary for making the fund-raising happen in such a short time and the people of Kenton for supporting the station. The JetRib Spirit of Kenton is perfect for an immediate response at Kenton-onSea, and the bigger boats at Port Alfred are always available to back her up.

NSRI Regional Representative Ian Gray (right) hands the keys of Spirit of Kenton to Chris Pike at the blessing ceremony.

CAR COMPETITION

ON Friday 19 January, our 2023 NSRI Car Competition finalists Dave Watterson and Johan Giliomee spun the wheel at a live draw to determine who would win the first and second prizes.

TOP First prize winner Johan Giliomee received the keys to a Mitsubishi Xpander and Triton.

You could also be driving off in a brand-new Mitsubishi. Entries for the 2024 Car Competition are now open: www.nsri.org.za/support-us/nsri-car-2024/

ABOVE Second place winner Dave Watterson drove off in a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. Congratulations!

SSC2 Survival Swimming instructor Mlungisi Ndamase and the children who completed the holiday Survival Swimming programme at SSC2 in Tombo celebrate completing the programme.

NEW ORC NAMED AND BLESSED AT NSRI TABLE BAY

DURING the naming and blessing ceremony of NSRI Table Bay’s new rescue vessel, the 14-metre Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC), DHL Deliverer, on 8 December 2023, NSRI Operations Director Brett Ayres thanked DHL for their ongoing support. ‘We have a few things in common,’ he said. ‘Red and yellow. Connecting people. Getting things done quickly. Taking care of precious cargo. And a promise to be there when you need us.’

2023 marked the 10-year anniversary of DHL’s partnership with the NSRI. Jed Michaletos, DHL Managing Director South Africa, said, ‘It is fitting that we get to coincide this boat-naming ceremony with this significant milestone. On behalf of all staff at DHL Express in South Africa, across the region and the globe, we want

to say a massive thank you to every single one of the NSRI volunteers. You are the real heroes. And you are why we are so proud to be involved with the NSRI.’

NSRI Table Bay station commander Quentin Botha acknowledged the 10-year partnership, adding that ‘the logistics company’s contribution to the NSRI since then has been invaluable’.

DHL takes care of the NSRI’s courier needs, has also undertaken various international shipments for the NSRI, and prints our Annual Integrated Report, among others.

The NSRI would like to take this opportunity to thank DHL for its continued support of our drowning prevention, education, lifeguarding and rescue work.

NSRI’S JETRIB PROGRAMME

THE NSRI’s JetRib is a pioneering vessel born of a collaboration between the NSRI and Droomers Yamaha in 2019. The vessel’s water-jet propulsion is more eco-friendly than traditional two-stroke outboard petrol engines and, by removing propellers from the water, the real danger of a propeller strike to casualties and rescue swimmers has been eliminated.

This groundbreaking vessel is sought after internationally, from Iceland and Ascension Island to New Zealand and Australia, and played a crucial role in the NSRI’s rescue efforts during the KwaZulu-Natal and Overberg floods.

The goal is to acquire a fleet of 58 JetRIBs. Even with the hefty price tag of R650 000 per JetRib (including road trailer, kit and personal protective equipment for the crew), thanks to generous donations, 37 NSRI stations have already acquired a JetRib each, and five more are in the pipeline for 2024.

THE NSRI’S SURVIVAL SWIMMING CENTRE HEADS TO BARCELONA

THE Fluidra Foundation sponsored the building of NSRI’s fourth Survival Swimming Centre (SSC) with the intention for it to be exhibited at the world’s biggest swimming pool show – Piscina & Wellness – in Barcelona in late November 2023. When the SSC arrived in Spain, the Fluidra engineers looked at ways of making the SSC more efficient and improving the design. They flew NSRI’s Drowning Prevention Manager Andrew Ingram to Barcelona, where he presented the SSC project to guests at the first Swimming Pool Horizons Summit, which was part of the Piscina & Wellness show.

‘It was absolutely amazing to speak to the engineers who worked on this project and to see their passion for it. It was also amazing to sit in a room with the captains of industry and talk to them about what we

‘I discovered the Survival Swimming Centre pool container and it absolutely blew my mind. I thought what a clever idea ... We wanted to bring it to Barcelona to the biggest event in the swimming pool sector.’

Ricard Madurell, Pool Horizons programme founder

are doing. People from different countries, different backgrounds, different expertise, all working together to make something that will reduce drowning around the world,’ says Andrew.

The NSRI hopes to make this project sustainable with the help of partners like Fluidra.

‘‘What we have here, designed by the Fluidra engineers, is the Porsche of Survival Swimming Centres. They helped us address some major issues including water quality which is extremely important; and they came up the ideas and equipment to make it all better than it was.’

Andrew Ingram, NSRI’s Drowning Prevention Manager

SPONSOR NEWS

ST FRANCIS GOLF DAY

ON 6 January, the St Francis Bay Golf Course again played host to the annual NSRI St Francis Golf Day. NSRI St Francis and Client Care teamed up to bring 116 players together for a great day of golf, and some unconventional fun. The theme for the day was ‘Pink Rescue Buoys’ and the custom challenge of the day – Who can putt a marshmallow closest to the Pink Rescue Buoy signage pole – provided lots of laughs and competition between the players. This challenge raised enough to fund two Pink Rescue Buoys. ‘I would really like to thank Charles Black and Frank Harpur, two of our crew, who did an absolutely fantastic job with organising this golf day. Also, a heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors, the golf course and those who

supported us. We look forward to welcoming you again next year,’ said Sara Smith, station commander of NSRI St Francis.

ABOVE ‘Who can putt a marshmallow closest to the Pink Rescue Buoy signage pole?’ provided plenty of fun on the day. Well done to those who won prizes, and thanks to all our sponsors.

SPONSOR NEWS

PLETTENBERG BAY GOLF DAY

JANUARY was a great month for golf on the Garden Route and NSRI Plettenberg Bay took full advantage of it. With 53 years of community involvement, NSRI Plettenberg Bay’s annual golf day is entrenched in the activities of the community and has been taking place since the 1980s. The day has always been incredibly well attended and this year was no different. With 240 players, the field was

packed! Everyone from the famous to the first-time players had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed their rounds of golf. More than R157 000 was raised.

The golf day tradition can only live on because of the unstinting support of the players, sponsors and donors. Thank you to each one of you for stepping up and being part of the NSRI Plettenberg Bay Golf Day.

REQUEST FOR PRIZES AND GOODIE BAG ITEMS

FROM teaching hands-on CPR in classrooms across the country, to the manufacturing and rolling out of our large offshore rescue craft, everything we do, every project we undertake and every life we get to save, is funded through the support of our partners, donors and sponsors. Fundraising is therefore fundamental part of our organisation.

We host a multitude of fundraising events throughout the year and are looking for donations of prizes and items that we can add to participants’ goodie bags. We welcome items, vouchers, goodie bags, etc. If you can help us with this, please contact renee@searescue.org.za or 067 425 1019.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS PLATINUM PARTNERS

GOLD PARTNERS

A&M Logistics (Pty) Ltd / African Marine Solutions Group (Pty) Ltd / Applied Mineral Technologies (Pty) Ltd / Barpro Storage SA (Pty) Ltd / Bearfish

(Pty) Ltd / Denso (Pty) Ltd / Denys Edwardes (Pty) Ltd / Hoegh Autoliners (Pty) Ltd / Life Health Solutions / MACS

Maritime Carrier Shipping (Pty) Ltd / Marlyn Vulindlela (Pty) Ltd

/ Mix Telematics International

(Pty) Ltd / Richards Bay Coal

Terminal (Pty) Ltd / Ruwekus

Fishing (Pty) Ltd / Two Oceans Aquarium Trust

NSRI GARIEP DAM NEW YEAR’S FLOAT CELEBRATION

ON 1 January NSRI Gariep Dam hosted a ‘Swim, float, row into the new year’ celebration. 107 entries were received and young and old had a whole lot of fun. The festivities kicked off late-morning and some people used their boats to float, others used lifejackets, and some just floated because they could – all while under the watchful eye of NSRI Gariep Dam. There were amazing lucky draw prizes up for grabs, which included restaurant and accommodation vouchers. Everyone had a spectacular time as they splashed out on the dam and into the New Year.

THANK YOU FOR DONATIONS RECEIVED

IN MEMORY OF: Dr L Snyman, Peter Sprung, Roger Lindsay, Felicity Wotton, Peter Gaylard

IN HONOUR OF: John Newmarch (80th birthday), Mr George Amos (birthday), M Toerien (80th birthday), Eddy Cassar (70th birthday), Janet Kriseman (birthday).

STARS IN THE SEA

Naturalist Georgina Jones reveals more about starfish, whose makeup is rather more complicated than what meets the eye.

Spiny starfish are the most common starfishes seen around Cape Town in rockpools and underwater where they are often found in large feeding aggregations. The species is known from Saldanha Bay to East London and offshore to the Agulhas Bank. It was at first thought to be a southern population of the European species, Marthasterias glacialis, which is known from the northeastern Atlantic, throughout the Mediterranean and down to the Guinean Gulf.

Unsurprisingly, spiny starfish are covered with spines, though in the northern hemisphere version, the spines are arranged in crowded regular rows, while the southern African individuals have either relatively few spines or else many, irregularly scattered over the surface. These spines are surrounded by jaw-like structures called pedicellariae which function to deter organisms from settling on the starfish and help to keep the starfish’s surface free of debris.

They breathe using thin-skinned hairysurfaced bulges that extend through their body walls: the hairs beat and create a water current for gas exchange into the body.

They get around using their tube feet which are powered by a combination of muscles, hydraulics and chemical

adhesion. Water enters the starfish through a plate on their upper surface and is moved through an internal system of canals. To walk, which they do at a leisurely 15cm/minute, muscles and valves pressurise the water into their tube feet, allowing the feet to extend or retract. Although the bottom of the tube feet look like suction cups, adhesive chemicals in the foot stick it to the surface and a different chemical is produced to detach the foot. The tube feet work in waves of adhesion and release and while they’re at it, they are also used for additional gas exchange.

FAR LEFT An unwary klipfish in danger of being trapped by tubefeet and then eaten. ABOVE Hunched over its mussel prey, the starfish pulls its valves open to get into its body. LEFT The red spot that is the starfish’s eye at the tip of the arm.

Perhaps surprisingly, starfish have eyes. Though they do not form sharp images, they are capable of distinguishing light from dark and of producing crude images, which aids the starfish in navigation. These are the red spots at the tips of the arms: a collection of compound eyes.

Starfish use their eyes as well as chemical cues to detect predators, prey and to stay near their home reefs. They are preyed upon by a wide variety of animals from crabs to fishes and birds. Their primary means of defence is the unpleasant-tasting set of chemicals they produce, along with their spines and snapping pedicellariae.

Should they lose an arm to predation, however, they can regenerate it, and are often seen with one or two slowly growing small arms.

Food-wise, though the northern hemisphere spiny starfish prefer feeding on urchins, the southern hemisphere individuals are especially fond of mussels but they’re also seen scavenging carcases of everything from seals to crabs, and will also eat urchins, seemingly unaffected by the spines, as well as limpets, barnacles and marine snails.

hemisphere populations of spiny starfish prompted a study that revealed that these two groups differ genetically to the extent that they should be considered separate species. The southern spiny starfish is now officially known as Marthasterias africana.

To eat a mussel, the starfish will first hunch over it, gripping it and clamping it to the sea floor, and then use its tube feet to exert pressure on either side of the mussel’s bivalved shell. Once the mussel’s muscles tire and the valves open, the starfish will evert its stomach into the mussel, secrete digestive juices that effectively turn the mussel’s flesh into a slurry that the starfish then sucks up. The process can take several hours.

They have been characterised as walking stomachs, though recent genetic research has shown that starfishes in general are in fact, genetically, all head. Head-related genes are found throughout their bodies, with trunk-related genes only found at the tips of the arms. Weird.

The observed differences in food preference, spine arrangement and size between the northern and southern

The next question that arises is: how did two species of the same cold water genus land up on either sides of the tropics? It is known that the northern spiny starfish is a broadcast spawner, with its larvae spending up to three months developing in the plankton. It is possible that at some stage the floating larvae made their way down the west coast of Africa and then settled here. The researchers suggest that the larvae may have made use of corridors of cooler water through the tropics that may have existed in geological times past, and that fossils may provide a clue to the species distribution pattern.

A mystery not easily solved because starfish have very few body parts that fossilise easily and fossils of the west coast of Africa are very poorly known.

In the meantime, the southern spiny starfish will be roaming the reefs of the Cape, feeding, regenerating, spawning and fending off settlers with their tiny snapping jaws.

GEORGINA JONES

Two small regenerating arms.

FISH TALES

quiz Quiz

Starfish are amazing creatures of the sea.

Test your knowledge and see how many of the questions you can get right. Don’t peek at the answers.

1. How do starfish get around?

2. How fast can they move?

3. Where are their eyes situated?

4. What happens if a starfish loses one of its arms?

5. What do starfish like to eat?

Have some fun and colour the starfish in your favourite colours!

Find the words

See if you can find the following words:

Starfish Plankton Spines Crab Urchin Snail Snap Trunk Fossil Mussel

Answers: 1. Tube feet 2. 15cm/minute 3. At the bottom of their arms 4. It will regenerate/grow back 5. Urchins and mussels

NSRI BASE LOCATIONS

The NSRI is manned by more than 1 445 volunteers at over 50 rescue bases, including satellite or auxiliary stations and inland dams. In addition, more than 30 seasonal Lifeguard Units have been established around the country.

Strandfontein (West Coast)

Lambert’s Bay

NORTHERN CAPE

Yzerfontein

Bakoven

Hout Bay

Kommetjie

Simon’s Town

Strandfontein

Muizenberg to Monwabisi (Satellites)

Melkbosstrand

Gordon’s Bay

Port Nolloth

Survival Swimming Centres

SSC 1: Meiring Primary School

SSC 2: Noah Christian Academy

SSC 3: Duduzile Junior Secondary School

SSC 4: Sponsored on show in Spain

SSC 5: Steilhoogte Primary School

POP Pool 1: Portable pool at Pineview Primary School, Grabouw SSC 2: Tombo Village

› Data projectors and speakers or flatscreen TVs for training

› GoPros or similar waterproof devices to film training sessions

› Good-quality waterproof binoculars

› Prizes for golf days and fundraising events

› Towels for casualties

› Groceries such as tea, coffee, sugar and cleaning materials

GENERAL NEEDS RESCUE BASES

› Long-life energy bars

› Wet and dry vacuum cleaners

› Dehumidifiers

› Small generators

› Good-quality toolkits

› Top-up supplies for medical kits

› Waterproof pouches for cellphones

› Tea cups/coffee mugs/glasses for events

MAKE A DIRECT DONATION ON OUR WEBSITE OR USE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW.

FOR DEPOSITS AND EFTS

ABSA Heerengracht

Branch code: 506 009

Account number: 1382480607

Account holder: National Sea Rescue Institute

Swift code: ABSA-ZA-JJ

PAY ONLINE:

https://www.nsri.org.za/ support-us/donate

If you choose to do an EFT, please use your telephone number as a unique reference so that we are able to acknowledge receipt, or email your proof of payment to info@searescue.org.za.

DONATE BY SNAPSCAN

Scan this QR code or visit the link below to pay using SnapScan.

https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/ STB4C055

Please use your cellphone number as base/project reference so we can acknowledge your donation.

nsri.org.za

DONATE BY ZAPPER

Scan this QR code or visit the link below to pay using Zapper.

https://www.zapper.com/ url/KU1oB

Please use your cellphone number as base/project reference so we can acknowledge your donation.