In the
NICK OF TIME
A small boat caught in rough surf can mean serious trouble. Fortunately, because the St Lucia crew was alerted by their station commander who was already on the beach for leisure purposes, they were able to respond swiftly and assist casualties with serious injuries. By Cherelle Leong
22 |
SEA RESCUE SPRING 2021
permission to return to the beach immediately and asked for medical assistance. THE NEED FOR SPEED Jan knew there was no time to waste and requested the assistance of Netcare 911 paramedics at the same time that he activated the crew. Back at the beach, Jan watched as the skipper cautiously manoeuvred the damaged boat back to shore. Once they were safely on the beach, Jan conducted a medical assessment of the crew and skipper. The skipper was uninjured but in shock. The three crew were not as fortunate and had
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED
O
N MONDAY 5 APRIL 2021, the last day of the Easter long weekend, six Station 40 (St Lucia) Sea Rescue crew members were on their way to Cape Vidal for training when they received a phone call from their station commander, Jan Hofman. Jan was on the beach at St Lucia and had been preparing to launch his private boat when he witnessed another boat being battered badly by huge waves as it launched through the surf. Once through the backline, the stricken vessel’s skipper radioed in, reporting that the boat was damaged and three of the four people on board were seriously injured. He requested
