NSRI Sea Rescue Summer 2018

SEA RESCUE R14.95 | SUMMER 2018 FREE TO NSRI MEMBERS

BALLITO BRAVEHEARTS ryk neethling shares his story

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LETTERS SUPPORT Andrew Ingram chats to Jami-Lee Marnitz of Station 26 (Kommetjie) about what can be achieved with the support of people who believe in you.

TOGETHER We discover the power of joining forces with the opening of Station 41 in Ballito.

READER SURVEY Feedback from our Winter issue Reader Survey.

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THE GIFT OF GIVING Our call centre staff got busy for Mandela Day. KIDS’ CLUB Discover how to make an ecobrick, and what readers had to say about the adventure book The Brave Turtle.w

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IN THE NEWS Fundraising drives, events and station news.

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WINE AUCTION: A GREAT SUCCESS Our 23rd Annual Wine Auction raised funds towards the new 6.5m rescue boat for Hermanus.

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BUILDING FUTURES Playing a part in the future sustainability of our planet starts with the little things.

CONTENTS summer 2018

STAYING ON TRACK NSRI’s operations manager, Brett Ayres, shares some of the latest technological developments and collaborative efforts involved in rescues.

CRITICAL EVACUATION OFF OUMA Station 8 (Hout Bay) wasted no time when the call came to casevac a crewman who had been injured in a winch accident aboard the fishing vessel Ouma.

SAVING LIVES. CHANGING LIVES. CREATING FUTURES.

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RESCUE AT THE HEADS Coxswain Chris van Staden’s account of the rescue of 10 tourists and the skipper of the capsized 8.9m RIB charter Moonraker.

ONE PERSON, ONE FAMILY, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME The NSRI, in conjunction with The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, is raising funds for drowning prevention.

STATION DIRECTORY

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

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FROM THE HELM CAPE TOWN: NSRI, 1 Glengariff Road, Three Anchor Bay 8001; PO Box 154, Green Point 8051 Tel: +27 21 434 4011 Fax: +27 21 434 1661 Visit our website at www.searescue.org.za or email us at info@searescue.org.za

W

HAT A BUSY YEAR 2018 has been! It seems crazy that I’m sitting writing for the end-ofyear edition of the magazine – time is floating by and summer is upon us. We get caught up in the energy and enthusiasm that exudes from volunteers up and down each coast as they adapt to the changing face of rescue.

The one thing about the ocean and water is the variability and change that continuously challenges our systems, and our response has to be fluid by necessity (excuse the pun).

Fortunately we can depend on the exuberance of youth, the resilience and experience of the older generation, and the consistency of commitment from everyone to respond to new challenges. We can see examples evolving every day, like the Pink Rescue Buoy campaign, our latest lifeguarding units, swift-water rescue training, pilot ladder fall protection, aerial drones, cellphone applications, new offshore rescue vessels, new rescue stations… The list goes on. The refreshing thing is that, every day, Sea Rescue is different, evolving and transforming to achieve our mission of saving lives.

Next year should see us establishing a rescue footprint on the far East Coast (St Lucia) and the West Coast (Port Nolloth) and penetrating further inland with our water-safety education.

Dams, canals and rivers pose significant challenges to our drowning prevention efforts, and long stretches of unguarded beaches with deadly rips are another challenge. We have introduced a new model of lifeguarding to cover larger areas of beach with an all-terrain vehicle and a Jetski with a sleigh, and we are developing a survival-swimming programme to provide children with the ability to float, get to the side and get out!

The articles in this edition of our magazine tell these stories, as well as about women taking up leadership roles, about expanding operational footprints and partnerships, about reaching out to children, about funding the new offshore rescue vessels (ORCs) and much more.

In achieving the above, your fundraising team is working tirelessly to raise the capital for expanding our services and revitalising the fleet. It’s hard work in the current economy – raising almost R20 million for a capital asset like the ORC rescue vessel is a real stretch – but with faith in the South African community and your continued support we will get there!

Enjoy the summer and the water. ‘Just do it’, only safely!

THE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP MANAGING EDITOR Wendy Maritz ART DIRECTOR Ryan Manning ADVERTISING Nicholas Lumb EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mark Beare PRODUCTION DIRECTOR John Morkel EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Susan Newham-Blake ADDRESS PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018 TEL +27 21 424 3517 FAX +27 21 424 3612 EMAIL wmaritz@tppsa.co.za

SEA RESCUE OFFICE +27 21 434 4011 WEB www.searescue.org.za EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: MARKETING AND FUNDRAISING Meriel Bartlett CELL 082 994 7555 EMAIL meriel@searescue.org.za PUBLIC RELATIONS Megan Hughes CELL 083 443 7319 EMAIL megan@searescue.org.za COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Craig Lambinon CELL 082 380 3800 EMAIL lambinon@mweb.co.za PRODUCED FOR THE NSRI BY The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018.

Copyright: The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the prior permission of the editor. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not the NSRI. Offers are available while stocks last.

DR CLEEVE ROBERTSON, CEO

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THE CREW

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

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LETTERS WINNING LETTER Thank you, Barbara, for sharing your story with us. Your American Tourister travel bag is on its way to you.

SAFETY FIRST Our family has been members of NSRI for many years. My father-in-law joined in the late ’60s and became a Coast Watcher for False Bay at that time. In due course my husband joined, and now our son Matthew is an active member.

After reading the article on the Pink Rescue Buoy Project in the Winter Issue, I was prompted to share our story with you.

In the early 1970s I completed the freshwater lifesaving certificates at school in Johannesburg and was awarded my Gold Medal Certificate.

Just over 15 years later, my CPR skills were put to the test when I had to resuscitate my two-year-old son who had fallen into our pool.

He recovered fully and is now an active member of Station 26 (Kommetjie).

With three children aged seven, five and two at the time, I was very anxious about pool safety and began there and then to do elementary lifesaving with the children.

We created our own ‘pink buoy’ by attaching a used pool-chemical bottle, slightly weighted with a little water, to a nylon rope, with the other end secured to a hook on the wall next to the pool.

The children and their friends loved practising throwing the buoy to others in the water, and hauling them to the side. I also taught them how to bounce and turn one another out from the side.

I’m pleased to say that we did not have another incident in our pool. My children became water-safety conscious and learnt to be observant of others around them in the water. Some years later the same ‘baby’ and his older brother rescued a little boy from the bottom of a very busy public pool in the summer holidays. Another life was saved.

BARBARA BOTTOME

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

SEA RESCUE R14.95 | SUMMER 2018 FREE TO NSRI MEMBERS

Read our cover story on page 10

BALLITO BRAVEHEARTS ryk neethling shares his story

coxswain course scenario training

’N KOSBARE AFSKEID Ingesluit vind asseblief ’n donasie vir die wonderlike diens wat ons ontvang het van Ivan en sy span van Stasie 9 te Gordonsbaai.

Op 13 Junie 2015 is ons ‘man, pa, broer, oupa en skoonpa’ Lambertus Dignus van de Linde oorlede met die laaste wens dat sy as gestrooi moes word in die see

by Bikini-strand te Gordonsbaai. Hy was sieklik ten tyde van sy sterwe op die ouderdom van 69 jaar, en het in die laaste tyd van sy lewe gereeld op ’n bankie daar gesit.

Ná my gesprek met die personeel van Stasie 9 en bogenoemde versoek, het hulle ons op 15 Julie te hulp gekom en my en my tannie uitgeneem op een van hulle bote om die as te strooi terwyl die res van die familie aan wal toegekyk het.

Die drie manne en dame aan diens was vir ons soos engele. Ons het voor die tyd gevoel of ons oor ’n hoë berg moes klim, maar met díe wonderlike mense aan ons sy en die omgee het die prosedure pragtig verloop en was ons baie rustig daarna danksy hulle.

Ook is daar vir ons foto’s geneem wat ondenkbaar kosbaar vir ons is.

Weereens, baie baie dankie, met die allerbeste wense vir julle werk vorentoe.

SONJA ZEELIE

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LETTERS BRICK BY BRICK In your Winter Issue, a reader highlighted the plastic covering that is used to wrap the magazine. Solution: ecobricks. Stuff the plastic into a twolitre soft-drink bottle along with other non-recyclables such as crisp packets, energy-bar wrappers and so forth, and then drop it off at an ecobrick receiving point. The bricks are then used to build a number of structures, including walls.

Rob McKay Thanks, Rob. We had decided to include ecobricks in our children’s pages in this edition, so we are delighted at the timing of your letter. – Ed

SEEING IS BELIEVING A LONG TIME AGO… Thirty-eight years ago, in April, my husband, who was a strong swimmer and waterpolo player, went into a very cold sea at the new harbour in Hermanus to dive for perlemoen, which he had been doing for many years. However, he went in bareheaded because his rubber cap had a tear in it. My son and friend were on a rubber boat, from which he used to dive. As a result of hypothermia he became disorientated, stayed down for too long and tried to surface quickly, throwing off his weight belt, but it was too late. My son alerted Sea Rescue, who noticed him floating some way off, brought him in and handled the tragic situation with care and support, which I still appreciate greatly to this day.

A remembrance plaque was put up on a bench at Voëlklip that, two years ago, after 36 years, was stolen for the little bit of copper. We have since replaced it with a stainless-steel plaque, which will be left alone, hopefully. I am a regular reader of your magazine ever since. Keep up the wonderful work.

Mrs R Burger

Write to us and WIN! The writer of the winning letter published in the Autumn 2019 issue of Sea Rescue will win a Cobb Premier+ worth R2 390. This multiple award-winning cooking system is portable, light and easy to clean. It is the ideal camping and picnic companion that is cool to the touch, even when being used, making it easy to pack in with other equipment. Weighing a mere 4.5kg, the Cobb retains and circulates heat like a convection oven, and its stainless-steel moat catches excess fat, which means no smoky flare-ups or fat residue on your food.

For more information, visit www.cobbonline.co.za.

Email your letters to info@searescue.org.za or post to Sea Rescue magazine, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018.

(Letters may be shortened, and the winning letter is chosen at the editor’s discretion.)

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Sea Rescue SUMMER 2018

Growing up on the coast, I’ve always heard of the great things the NSRI has done. Now that I have joined up as a volunteer at a new station, I can say that they really live up to the expectations.

It is amazing to see such a passionate group of people and how efficient they really are. Anyone can join, and I assure you they are warm and welcoming at all stations. They are committed to training you so that you are prepared. It’s an incredible experience and I encourage everyone to go down to their nearest station and see what they’re all about.

Dean Birnie, Station 41 (Ballito) Read our Ballito feature on page 12. – Ed

REGATTA ASSISTANCE On behalf of the executive committee and members of the Algoa Bay Yacht Club, and South African Sailing, Eastern Cape, we would like to thank you, Ian Gray, and your team [NSRI Station 6 (Port Elizabeth)] for the wonderful way in which you assisted us with the regatta that unfortunately was blown out on Saturday.

Your team came to our assistance immediately and I believe that without your assistance we would have battled to get all the dinghies in when the wind came through.

What was really impressive was the way that the team followed through to ensure that all were safe and accounted for – what a pleasure dealing with professionals!

Thank you again, RODNEY IDRIS, Honorary Secretary, Algoa Bay Yacht Club

LOG ON TO TWO FREE SERVICES

DISASTER AVERTED I want to take this opportunity to thank the NSRI in Mossel Bay for the quick response in saving The Vuna Imbongi and her crew when the vessel ran aground in Mossel Bay. From the whole of SeaVuna and the Mossel Bay community, THANK YOU SO MUCH! It could have turned into a major environmental disaster if it wasn’t for your fast and professional handling of the situation. I was on the beach when they pulled the vessel off, and it was amazing to see that we have such a great team of guys available to handle these unfortunate situations.

Best of all, the whole crew is safe and no one sustained any injuries – they can return to their families the way they came to sea!

RAYMOND WILLIAMS, Fleet Operations & Technical Manager, SeaVuna Fishing Company (Pty) Ltd

BravoBravo Register online and prepare for your SAMSA skipper ticket. Go to bravobravo.co.za for more information.

RSA Safetrx When you’re in trouble at sea, you need help fast. This free app takes the ‘search’ out of search and rescue.

Visit www.nsri.org.za/safetrx

LETTERS

PINK RESCUE BUOY CONCERNS As a SANParks Honorary Ranger I often patrol the beaches and approaches in the Sedgefield Wilderness area and you can imagine my excitement at recently finding several newly erected Pink Rescue Buoys at popular swimming spots along the beaches. Within a week all the long ropes on the buoys had been stolen. They were replaced but within a few days – the same story – they had again been stolen. SANParks has now given up replacing them. Do you have any ideas on how to prevent this vandalism?

As a very poor swimmer there is no way I could swim out with a buoy to help anybody in distress and I am sure this applies to many other visitors to the beaches. Have you any suggestions as to what to do under these circumstances? A notice on what to do, placed next to the buoys, could be very helpful.

I only hope I am never faced with this situation.

Lars Nayler

Dear Lars, the Pink Rescue Buoy campaign is aimed at those in danger of drowning in three main groups at risk: peer-rescue drownings, rip-current drownings and inland drownings (rivers and dams).

The concept of the emergency flotation or Pink Rescue Buoy and accompanying signage is an evolving one, as we strive to best fulfil the objective of reducing drownings. At the start of the campaign, there were throw bags (bags with rope in them) attached to every sign. We have since amended our model so that throw bags are not included unless specifically requested by the NSRI station commander or for use at small areas of water.

Peer-rescue drownings occur when a bystander attempts to rescue someone in trouble and ends up drowning in the attempt to help. This is exactly the situation that you hope you are not faced with.

Often these drownings occur either because the aspiring rescuer incorrectly estimates their own swimming ability or underestimates the strength of the current or the length of the swim. These are often kind people who see someone in

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Sea Rescue SUMMER 2018

trouble and spring into action, or they are family members of the victim.

The graphics on our sign advises someone who wants to help not to enter the water but rather to call for help and throw the flotation device to the person in trouble. Should the helper decide to enter the water, he or she would have a significantly lower chance of drowning if they went in with a flotation device.

The Pink Rescue Buoy campaign emphatically does not advocate that anyone should put themselves in danger by entering the water. But whether we recommend it or not, statistics show us that many people will enter the water to try and help, and in those circumstances, that they stand a better chance of survival if they have a flotation device with them.

An added benefit of the buoy is that it is highly visible in the water, allowing emergency services to spot it (and therefore the person in danger) easily in the water when they arrive.

The only real way for the Pink Rescue Buoy campaign to work is for the community to take ownership of them. The Pink

Buoys are there to help the community, and they can only do so if the buoys and, where used, the rope remain on the signs until needed.

The graphics on the Pink Rescue Buoy sign give local emergency telephone numbers and advise someone who wants to help but is not trained NOT to go into the water but rather to call for help and to throw the buoy to the person in difficulty. Never endanger your own life in a rescue attempt.

If you would like to help with this campaign: share Pink Rescue Buoy stories and information through social media, talk to your family and friends about it, and report incidences to the NSRI where you see Pink Buoys removed from their designated boards.

Education is key. If the message is spread far enough that ‘it could be your children, siblings, parents and friends whose lives could be saved by a pink buoy’, we can keep all Pink Buoys safely at home on their boards!

Andrew Ingram, Drowning Prevention Manager

support

Jami-Lee Marnitz of Station 26 (Kommetjie) tells Andrew Ingram what can be achieved with the support of people who believe in you.

Station 26 (Kommetjie) station commander Ian Klopper with Jami-Lee.

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

J

AMI-LEE MARNITZ IS being held afloat by her lifejacket. She has a huge smile on her face and, looking straight into the camera, she is giving the Shaka – thumb up and little finger extended from a fist. Floating next to her are three other rescue crew members in full kit, and behind them is an upturned Sea Rescue boat. The picture is one that needs a second look. Crew smiling in the water next to an overturned boat?

It was a training exercise and the six Sea Rescue volunteers in the water are trainee coxswains who have just completed the capsize segment of the course.

For 27-year-old Jami the picture is extremely significant. One of her earliest memories is her grandfather’s story of how he and her uncle were rescued by Kommetjie Sea Rescue crew from their capsized yacht off Noordhoek. And just over a month ago she was crew on the Kommetjie Sea Rescue boat Spirit of the Vines when they had a mechanical failure in the surf zone, also off Noordhoek, and the 6.5m rescue boat capsized.

Jami has always been drawn to the sea. ‘My brother and I were taught to surf when we were four,’ she says. ‘And by six we were taking part in competitions.’

Growing up in the tiny seaside village of Scarborough was perfect for children who love the water.

Great waves for surfing, some safe rock pools and one of the Cape’s strongest rip currents make for a good grounding in water safety.

Her family moved from Scarborough to Kommetjie when she was six and just over a decade later Jami joined Sea Rescue Station 26 at Kommetjie.

‘It was super daunting,’ remembers

Jami. ‘I had to stand up in front of everybody and tell them about myself at the monthly meeting.’ She rattles off the names of those in the meeting – the who’s who at the Kommetjie rescue base.

‘The first time I went out on the boat we went straight down to Dunes.’ She laughs at the memory. ‘It was super nerve-wracking.’

It was a day that the surf was particularly big, as it can get in that neck of the woods. Jami remembers being on the inside of the break in the small 4.2m rescue boat and being asked if she was sure that she wanted to join Sea Rescue.

‘I was like… Ja, I’m cool. I’ve got this.’

In 2010 she was awarded her rescue crew badge, and as so often happens, she was thrown in the deep end almost immediately. ‘My first call was a missing stand-up paddler and I was the first one on the boat who spotted him,’ she recalls with pride. ‘It was very rewarding.’

‘There was another call in those early days when two boats capsized off the Kommetjie slipway but there were so many boats blocking the channel that we could not launch the rescue boat, so Nick, my brother, and I swam out. The one boat had kids on board and we helped them back to the beach.

‘The most challenging call for me at that time was a groom who got thrown from his horse at Noordhoek. He was killed. It was the 28th of December 2010 and I took that very hard.’

‘The guys told me to talk about it.

“Talk to your mom. Talk to your dad.

Come chat to us.” That helped a lot.’

It was a few years later that Jami was promoted to trainee coxswain. Apart from practical boating skills that must be mastered, there is a good dollop of theory that coxswains have to get their heads around. And, of course, leadership.

In stressful rescue situations a sharp wit and strong, calm leadership can mean the difference between life and death.

And so it was that, just before launching on an exercise in July 2018, Jami was leading a discussion that involved each

PHOTOGRAPHS: JUSTIN PIENAAR

CREW STORIES

Then the wave was on them,

pushing broadside on and lifting the pontoon -

and suddenly they were over.

PHOTOGRAPHS: JUSTIN PIENAAR

crewman telling the group what their biggest fear was on land and at sea. Rescue crews are often put in tight situations and it is critical that each team member knows the other’s strengths and weaknesses. One team member said that their biggest fear was a capsize. This was talked through, and then the boats launched for the exercise with Station 8 (Hout Bay).

‘We were training in Hout Bay and I did some close-quarter manoeuvring. It was the first time that I had done it and I got it spot-on, so I was like super proud. And then we hear on the radio that Rescue 8 Bravo was upside down in the surf.’

The spine-chilling message galvanised the Kommetjie crew. Station commander Ian Klopper took the helm and in minutes the Kommetjie Sea Rescue boat was with the overturned Hout Bay boat.

One crewman was rescued from the

water and the other was safely on shore.

The little boat was righted and towed out to safety. And then, as fate would have it, Ian decided to go back into the surf zone to look for a lost bow bag. Watching a small broken ‘foamie’ coming towards them, Ian called, ‘Turning to port, guys.’

But there was no response other than a cluck, cluck, cluck from the steering.

He tried to go to starboard, with the same lack of response from the steering.

Then the wave was on them, pushing broadside on and lifting the pontoon – and suddenly they were over. Jami and the four other crew members were in the water. ‘I came up and saw two of our crew and a lifejacket just floating.’

She swam over to the lifejacket and with great relief saw that it was a small.

It was the spare they’d had on board.

‘With that, Bos (Mark Knight) popped

up and then Ian popped up.’ The two men provided a light moment in the tension of a capsize, as they both still had their sunglasses on…

It was three weeks before the coxswain development course and Jami had had a baptism of fire.

‘It was cool. I am fine. It was a scary thing, but it is not an experience that you can get anywhere other than the real thing. It was a very, very valuable scenario to go through.

‘I am so excited for this course. I am a little bit nervous. I just want to get it done. It’s been a solid nine years at Sea Rescue for me and I am proud to say I am well on my way to becoming the first female to be awarded the Class 3 coxswain badge at Station 26.

‘And I can’t wait for my black jacket*,’ Jami laughs.

*Jami loved the course, breezed through the capsize training and learned a lot about herself. The black jacket is a reference to the jacket with which Sea Rescue coxswains are presented.

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

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The NSRI has joined forces with an existing rescue organisation to form Station 41 at Ballito. Willem de Waal met with station commander Quentin Power and a few of his crew members.

L

ATE ONE SUNDAY afternoon, I checked with Quentin about our exact meeting venue. He said, ‘I’m just dropping the kids off at home. The guys are busy cleaning the equipment; we had a little call-out this afternoon.

They should nearly be done, though – shall we just meet at the Bat Cave?’

I was intrigued, but it turns out the Bat Cave is a storage space in the parking garage of Tiffany’s Centre, off the N2 at Salt Rock, north of Durban.

It is where they store their rescue craft and equipment.

On arrival, I am introduced to nine of the members of the Specialised Rescue Unit (SRU), which, like Sea Rescue, is a volunteer outfit, manned by people from all walks of life who fulfil a community

need. We go upstairs and settle around a large round table in BBM Café.

From the outset, it is clear that this is a tightly knit group.

The SRU was formed in 2002, with Quentin, his brother Brendon, and three other friends from the fire department as the founding crewmen. It was born out of a need for a rescue service that could respond to emergencies at unprotected beaches. ‘We decided to set up the unit, and responded to anything we were available to respond to.’

Of the initial five members, only Brendon and Quentin remain. The other three have moved on and new members were recruited.

‘At the moment we have a core of about 16 members who are truly active.

TOGET

COMMUNITY SERVICE Many of us are ex-firemen, lifeguards or police reservists. But we all have day jobs: I’m a locksmith, Brendon is in satellite-dish installations and automation. Malcolm does pest control. Reese owns surf shops, and Peter is an estate manager. Craig is a saturation diver, Ralph is in piling, Kyle in construction, and Leslie is in a family business doing decking.’

‘How did you get all these guys involved?’ I ask them.

‘We were told: “You’re joining!”’ is the general consensus.

Quentin laughs before giving his answer. ‘Being involved with these rescues, along the way, we have run into active watersport users. People with a passion who wanted to be involved with helping

the community they live in. We generally hand-picked them.’

Brendon elaborates: ‘Many of us have been involved with this type of thing before. There is Malcolm here, who was with us in the fire department back in the day. Leslie was with us in lifesaving – Quentin and I trained him as a lifesaver. Kyle and Craemer also used to do lifesaving, and Ralph, too, back in the day. They all come from a similar background – if you get bitten by the bug, it doesn’t go away!’

Some of the wives and girlfriends also get involved. My wife Carmen has been the backbone of our SRU family, and there are currently three ladies doing

their SAMSA skipper’s tickets and who will do the Sea Rescue coxswain’s training afterwards. As with Sea Rescue, a lot of their training is scenario-based.

Quentin explains that, in the early days, they would usually be the first to arrive on the scene, especially with drownings. They have been working with Station 5 (Durban) for some time, getting involved in a number of their operations, especially as a rapid response team, and also with the SAPS, when search-andrescue operations are being conducted.

‘At the moment we cater for all types of rescues. We are primarily focused on

ETHER

COMMUNITY SERVICE

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

ABOVE: Crew launch for training.

LEFT: Volunteer Ralph Jansen

‘We all do this because of a

sense of service.

We all have day jobs

and we do this as

volunteers,

serving our community.

employers and wanted to go, they were welcome to go. I gave them the contact details of the coordinators in Knysna and asked when they would be leaving. The response was simply, “We’re busy packing the car!” And that was it, off they went.

It’s wanting to be involved, and wanting to make a difference.’

Someone asks, ‘What about all those incidents at “Hole in the Wall” at Thompson’s Bay? There must have been about seven!’

Quentin explains: ‘It is a very popular little beach, accessible through a hole

and a pathway on the rocks. The problem is, with spring high tide, one can end up trapped on the beach, with the escape routes being bashed by waves. It has happened on a number of occasions.

‘With one incident, we had a storm surge on top of a spring tide. At around 9pm, a lady in the flats at the top of the beach saw a group of seven people trapped on the beach. They were waving cellphone lights, and she alerted us.

‘Kyle and I went through the hole first, and then the other guys came through.

We also had NetCare standing by.

‘The water was by now washing over the beach by about a metre, so we lifted the casualties onto the rocks we were on.

While we were putting life jackets on them and getting ready to bring them through, one girl slipped, and the waves took her and carried her out to sea. Brendon and Brett went in after her, but it was hectic.

He managed to get hold of her, but they were more under the surface than above.

I wedged myself between the rocks, and Brendon managed to use his throw-line.

We pulled them in and managed to lift the girl up onto the ledge. We got them all out.

‘We all do this because of a sense of service. We all have day jobs and we do this as volunteers, serving our community.

We are making a difference. We don’t do it for money or glory – we do it as family.’

Which makes this dynamic even more special, and shows the powerful potential when two dedicated entities combine their skills and work together.

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aquatic rescue, but we also do high-angle rescue and we back up the fire departments when needed, as well as off-road rescue and so on. We also get involved with marine strandings: beached whales, dolphins, entangled marine animals.’

And it’s not only rescue work. They also do what they call ‘compassionate calls’.

When families are dealing with loss of life, team members will go and support them, and make the necessary phone calls to the various agencies.

‘When we started out in 2002, we all used our personal lifesaving equipment. Over the years, as we got sponsorships, we would buy personalised equipment, like a wetsuit or two, and assign it to specific crew members.

A lot of the newer guys still use their own gear, until we get sponsorship to replace it for them.

‘As far as the rescue craft is concerned: for the first one, we put out a request to the public for sponsorship. The owner of the local Mica hardware store then bought the craft for us, and regarded it as an interest-free loan – so, over the next five years, as we received funding and sponsorships, we paid back the loan.’

I ask about notable rescues and events, and receive an avalanche from around the table. Fame, the trawler that ran on the rocks at Ballito in 2000.

Phoenix, the doomed bulker that ran aground at Sheffield Beach in 2011.

Last year’s fires in Knysna.

So how did they manage to get involved with the fires in Knysna, 1 200km away.

Quentin elaborates: ’When the news broke about the immense devastation caused by the fires down in Knysna, I got a phone call around midnight: “There are five of us that want to go and help with the fires. Is it okay? Can we go?” I told them that if they had permission from their

‘OUR CREW NEEDS A HOME’ The Bat Cave is cool and functional but we want to provide crew with change-room facilities and a training room for their meetings. Having space for families to join in is also key to caring for and retaining our core of volunteers. If you are inspired by the dedication of this group and want to pledge your support, please contact our corporate fundraiser, Stuart Moerdyk, at stuart@searescue.org.za or station commander Quentin Power on his cellphone on 060 305 4803. noel nsri advert.pdf 1 2015/10/15 03:26:51 PM

Southern Power is the official Importer & Distributor of Volvo Penta marine engines, generators, spare parts & accessories and has been supplying the Marine Industry since 1985

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report back

Thank you to everyone who responded to our Reader Survey. We have processed the data and this is what we found.

SURVEY W

e were delighted to hear that the majority of readers enjoyed the mix of stories we feature, with rescue stories topping the list. One reader commented that poring over the magazine was her favourite way to enjoy a coffee break, saying ‘I enjoy the feel and colour of the magazine … I admire the “gees” with which the volunteers approach the very hectic job they do.’ General interest stories, updates on our boats and equipment, news and letters are also keenly read. We were complimented on the quality of the visuals, and to this end, must thank our contributors, both writers and photographers, for their dedication and generosity in bringing such value to Sea Rescue magazine.

We received suggestions for more environment and nature stories, which we have heeded by including two sustainability features in this issue, and will look to including more in the future.

To this end, to save paper and plastic, readers commented that they didn’t mind only seeing the magazine online, and suggested even reading it in PDF format.

We also regularly revisit our database to ensure we don’t duplicate addresses, and continue to value members alerting us when they receive more than one copy per family.

We also discovered that the magazine is circulated among extended family and is featured in waiting rooms. Since we reduced the size of the magazine to save on production costs and postage, there have been comments on the size of the print being a little small. We are planning to address this in the new year.

The water-safety messages were also singled out as being of particular value, especially with many lovers of water and water sports among our readers.

As an organisation, our volunteers were praised for their dedication and

LEFT: Michaela Bond announced the winners of the lucky draw. We hope all our winners will enjoy wearing their commemorative hoodies. Congratulations to: Howard Hatchwell (Port Edward), Mr Reed (Fish Hoek), Mrs Clark (George), Dawn Morrison (Cullinan), Mr Hosking (Rondebosch), Denika Kriel (Kempton Park), Mrs Fitzgerald (Fish Hoek), Muriel Darke (Marina da Gama), Pierre Loubser (Helderberg) and Alan McNamara (Kempton Gate).

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Sea Rescue SUMMER 2018

Photograph: GRAHAM LOWNDES, SUPPLIED

READER

‘I enjoy the feel and colour of the magazine …

I admire the “gees” with which the volunteers approach the very hectic job they do.’ expertise, and that our presence is more visible in the community, which is one of our aims.

Our competitions not only give readers the chance to win great monthly and annual prizes, but they appreciate being able to contribute in this way, even if they are not among the winners. This means a lot to us. One reader described the magazine as an ‘insightful journal into

the lives/rescues of your volunteer group and I value this type of report-back system for the donations I make to your essential service’.

Thank you for the valuable feedback.

We have contacted those who had individual concerns or queries, and continue to encourage all manner of feedback, on our magazine as well our organisation.

PHOTOGRAPH: GRAHAM LOWNDES, SUPPLIED

REUSE RECYCLE REPURPOSE

Slip-on sleeves

R35

We love our planet and love the idea of recycling the things we no longer use.

For this project we have partnered with Themba Training that offers entrepreneurial training paired with practical skills, such as sewing classes, to equip people with the skills needed to become small business owners and enter the formal or informal job market.

Recycled wetsuit laptop bags

R280

Christmas decorations

R60

FOR A SET OF 3

To see all the reccylced products on offer, visit shop.searescue.org.za/collections/recycle

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

| 17

giving back

THE GIFT

OF GIVING

In celebration of Mandela Day this year, our call centre staff set – and met – the challenge of producing woollen items for a number of oganisations.

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any of our readers donate to us through our call-centre promotions. To celebrate Mandela Day, our call centre manager Sue van Ryneveld challenged her team to knit or crochet 67 scarves for underprivileged children. They started at the beginning of July, and by 18 July they had made 118. It created a lovely team atmosphere and taught some people new skills. Sue was bowled over by the effort.

Sue achieved her personal target of crocheting 18 scarves in 18 days by the 18th – plus an extra one for luck! They had an additional 11 ready-made scarves donated to add to the total handout of 129.

The three organisations chosen were Vrygrond Community Develop-

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Sea Rescue summer 2018

ment Trust and Reading Centre, Where Rainbows Meet and Village Heights Kids Programme. They were so appreciative.

These are amazing organisations that deal with poverty-stricken families and provide hope under difficult conditions.

‘There can be

no greater gift than that of

giving one’s time

and energy

to help others

without expecting anything in return.’

– Nelson Mandela

CLUB K I D S CLUB KIDS THE BRAVE TURTLE

by B. D. Harris & Megan Bird

Published by Imagnary House, on sale from October 2018.

Sea Rescue crew rescue turtles and whales, so when you buy a turtle

or whale toy you help support the important work we do.

Turn the page to order your copy of the book or one of the toys.

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

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How to order Order your copy of The Brave Turtle book and/or toy at shop.searescue.org.za R120 – The Brave Turtle book

ECOBRICKS Victoria Sandmann and her parents, Bruce and Sarah, who are volunteers at Melkbosstrand, were very busy making ecobricks as part of International Plastic Free July. Here’s how you can join in all year round.

R180 – Brave Turtle or whale toy R300 – Complete set Size: A4 landsdcape 92 pages

What readers had to say A delightful tale of friendship...

Perfect for bedtime reading.

Robyn

An enchanting adventure of a little girl and

her two unlikely friends that takes us down a

colourful path as she searches for her missing parents. I found myself reading with a smile

on my face and a warm heart. A well written story that will bring you quality time with

your child as you drift through the adventure together. I loved it.

Ian Klopper

I really loved reading this book. The characters are cute ... and I fell in love with the weird

baboon. The rich and colourful illustrations

and special message about caring and water safety make this book a true treasure.

Eoudia Erasmus

A wonderful tale of friendship, bravery and

determination... The illustrations are amazing,

the vibrant colours just draw you even further into the world of Sam and her friends. I

appreciated the references to water safety

that have been written subtly into the story

line, as this is not just a story but a lesson.

Micci van Niekerk

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Sea Rescue summer 2018

During International Plastic Free July the Two Oceans Aquarium hosted an awareness campaign that included inviting families to participate in a joint project with Waste-ED. The idea was to collect 1 000 ecobricks to build an outdoor learning space for Levana Primary School in Lavendar Hill. The Sandmann family got involved. Dad Bruce and Mom Sarah are both volunteers at Station 18 (Melkbosstrand) and their daughter Victoria is very aware of pollution. As a family they spend a lot of time on the beach and in the ocean, and have become very aware of plastic pollution and plastic straw pollution. They added the plastic cover from the Sea Rescue magazine to their ecobrick.

SEE VICTORIA’S ‘SAY “NO” TO THE plastic STRAW’ VIDEO https://youtu.be/s6uI6FIsVlo

THE ECOBRICK CHALLENGE Why not start your own ecobrick production line?

We would love to see the results, so email us a photo of your completed project.

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REDUCE RECYCLE

+

Q&A

Q: What is an ecobrick?

A: An ecobrick is a plastic bottle packed tightly with non-biodegradable waste.

These bottles are then used as building materials to create sustainable homes, schools and furniture.

+

HOW TO MAKE AN ECOBRICK

Q: What kinds of plastic can be used?

A: Look out for recycling information on containers or wrappers. If there is no recycling information or it says ‘not currently recyclable’, then it can go into your ecobrick. This includes sweetie papers, some chip packets, clear plastic used to cover cheese, and so on.

Q: Why is it important?

A: Making ecobricks is not about encouraging the production of plastic, but rather a temporary way of protecting the environment while we humans figure out how to cut plastic out of our lives altogether.

Q: How do I make an ecobrick?

A: 1. Collect, clean and dry plastic waste at home. 2. Compress the waste into a plastic 2-litre PET bottle using a stick. 3. Pack tightly throughout.

4. Press with one hand to make sure it is firm enough (10% squashable).

✁

REUSE REPURPOSE

Useful website www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/ how-to-make-ecobricksreducing-waste-at-home

✁

join our club You will get a special certificate to put up on your wall, you will be sent your own magazine three times a year and you might be one of the lucky ones to win a Sea Rescue T-shirt.

✁

Join our club for R100 a year* Ask your mom or dad to fill this in

Please find enclosed cheque/postal order for R100 Debit my Visa/MasterCard to the amount of R100 Cardholder’s name:....................................................................................

Card number

Name:..................................................................................................................................

Surname:........................................................................................... Age:....................

Expiry date of card:

Postal address:.............................................................................................................

CVV number:

.............................................................................................. Postal code:....................

Cardholder’s telephone number: (..............)......................................

Telephone number: (..............)....................................................................................

Signature:.........................................................................................................

* If your mom or dad is a rescue volunteer, you can join at no cost.

Sea Rescue summer 2018

| 21

competition winners

Well done to our young artists who coloured in the ORCs so creatively.

1ST PLACE Robyn Amy Knipe (10 years)

Write to us!

Email your art to info@searescue.org.za or write to us at Kids’ Club, PO Box 154, Green Point, 8051.

2ND PLACE

Justin Coombes (11 years)

‘My older brother, Joshua, told me all about your very cool project. I also wanted to help you raise some money. Cheers, Daniel’

Ed: Thank you to Daniel Klue (7 years old) for his donation to our ORC project.

This drawing made our day. What a tribute to dad Marc Rodgers, Station 14 (Plettenberg Bay) station commander, by his son, Dylan. We look forward to him following his dreams.

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

3RD PLACE

Aidan Kohne (6 years)

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SAFETY

IN THE NEWS

SEACO PARTNERING WITH SEA RESCUE Thank you to SEACO for giving our rescue crew and lifeguards a safe and comfortable home

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

station. A big thank you to Seaco for your generosity, not only in providing a container but also for gifting us a really nice, well-maintained and spotless home that we could move into immediately.

Thank you also to Dibana Logistics for transporting the container at no charge.

PHOTOGRAPHS: SIMON MCDONNELL

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HIPPING CONTAINERS are very useful, but there is also a high demand for them and a long queue of people seeking donated containers.

We are very grateful to Seaco who have provided us with a beautiful container that is in pristine condition. Our Sea Rescue volunteers at Simon’s Town have to vacate part of their building due to renovations and this container will provide a very comfortable and secure home from where they can run their control room during rescues. Once renovations are complete, the container will be relocated to be used as a NSRI lifeguard

STILL BAY ROUNDUP Fifty-two years ago a trawler sank off Still Bay, and this was the catalyst for the establishment of the NSRI. The Still Bay community remains an integral part of our Sea Rescue story.

SAFETY MESSAGES Not only did Kiewiet Properties sponsor 12 rip-current signs in Still Bay, they also campaigned for us and helped secure additional sponsorship for Pink Rescue Buoys from the Hessequa Municipality and Lappiesbaai Restaurant. Special thanks to Anel Bezuidenhout from Kiewiet Properties.

PILOT PROJECT A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

By Bruce Sandmann, Training Officer

Photographs: SIMON MCDONNELL

I

n June we piloted a new concept.

We took our seagoing crew training syllabus, which is normally presented in weekly sessions over a period of six months, and we condensed it into two weeks. We did this for two reasons: on the one hand we have a shortage of crew in some small coastal towns and on the other hand we have crew with time on their hands who have to wait for a week to roll by before they can move on to the next section.

The course was held in Still Bay and we had an overwhelming response. We could only accommodate 10 people. Of the 10, some were ‘trainees’, already at local rescue bases, and others started with zero Sea Rescue experience.

The idea was to cover the theory in the mornings, followed by practical training sessions in the afternoon and at night. It was planned with some flexibility around the weather to ensure that the new recruits had time to adjust to their new environment and find their sea legs.

The trainee crew lived together for the duration of the course, which enabled them to get to know one another and to build the trust needed to operate as a unit during their training and scenarios.

Thanks to the positive training environment and great attitude of the trainee crew, the course had no delays and a fun and productive rhythm was maintained.

Over a two-week period, the trainee crew did exceptionally well, completing the full MEC course, trainee-crewrequired topics and navigation.

Each candidate had the opportunity to get helm time and were given various scenarios to handle during the course.

Some of these included working with the rescue sled close to shore, veering down, and a whole host of medical scenarios that kept them on their toes all day long.

Station commanders Arrie Combrinck (Still Bay), Martin Fourie (Witsand) and Andre Fraser (Mossel Bay) have all given very positive feedback on the trainee crew and the sound foundation that their new recruits now have to work from.

They are all happy to be contacted for more information and feedback from their crews on how the trainee crew are progressing on the stations. The trainees

all still need to complete the specific requirements of their respective stations, and as soon as those have been met they will be appointed by their stations as rescue crew.

The feedback from the trainees during a debrief on the last day of the course was extremely useful to help us polish the course content. We feel quite proud that nine of the 10 students are still volunteering for Sea Rescue, three months down the line.

A very big thank you must be given to Station 31 (Still Bay) for the use of their station and all the support they gave the group. They provided the venue and vessels needed to complete the course and without their hospitality it would not have been possible to run the course.

We wish all the trainees all the best with their training and look forward to seeing their progression in the organisation. The next course will be held over four weeks, after hours, in Lamberts Bay as part of their recruitment drive in preparation for the season.

Sea Rescue SUMMER 2018

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NEWS

spreading the water-safety message Nicole Anthony joined Sea Rescue as a Water Safety Instructor. She is sponsored by West Coast District Municipality together with Bergrivier, Cederberg, Matzikama, Saldanha Bay and Swartland local municipalities, and visits schools in these areas.

The NSRI’s Pink Rescue Buoys project has been chosen as a finalist for the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) HERO Awards 2018 for innovation and technology.

gr

h a fu

THANK YOU FOR THE DONATIONS RECEIVED IN MEMORY OF Mr Ray Naidoo Mrs Verona Dominy Mr Robert Brown Mr Johan van der Merwe Mr Gordon Lategan Mr Milton Borrill Mrs Georgina Harwood

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BIRTHDAYS Rachel van der Westhuizen (ninth) Martin Skeen (80th) Fred Byworth (80th) Mike Donnely (80th) John D’Arcy Evans (80th) Barry Jordan (80th) Helge Scherner, in memory of Nelson Mandela on his 100th birthday

Thank you to all those supporters who chose to make donations to Sea Rescue.

If you would like to do the same, Natasha can help make the arrangements. Get in touch with her on 021 434 4011 or at natasha@searescue.org.za

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

11559 -

Finding you when you need us

A

CCORDING TO THE United Nations, ‘fishing at sea is probably the most dangerous occupation in the world’. In addition, it states ‘the consequences of loss of life for artisanal fishers falls heavily on the dependents. These consequences can be devastating.’

The immediate answer to improving safety is a tracking and location device of some sort, but equipment is expensive and data costs are high.

Concerned for our subsistence and artisanal fishers, ExactEarth raised sponsorship from the UK Space Agency and has distributed AIS transponders to the owners of small craft around our coastline.

These units are switched on when launching and they have a panic button that sends an emergency alert and location to rescuers.

Sea Rescue supports this initiative, which takes the search out of search and rescue. This feature is particularly valuable for small craft on the West Coast, where fog is an issue.

The distribution of these devices began in November last year. Ten months down the line many artisanal and recreational fishing boats routinely use them. If you have one of these units or have seen them in use, please share your stories with us.

Saving lives. Changing lives. Creating futures.

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2018/10/08 3:38 PM

SPONSOR NEWS

Quiver Outdoor Gear ‘We are extremely proud to be able to supply an organisation like the NSRI with gear. South African businesses supporting South African organisations is something we want to see more of.

Very happy to be partnering with you guys.’

– The Quiver Outdoor Gear team

Recognising our schoolgoing volunteers with colours and half-colours RHINE BARNES, station commander at Station 18 (Melkbosstrand) has pioneered a Junior Academy to welcome youngsters into the organisation. Rhine has also piloted our first NSRI Lifeguard squad. He recently approached their local high school to request that the school considers awarding school colours for the dedication and commitment required of our Sea Rescue crew and NSRI Lifeguards.

When awarding school colours, the rescue crew is perhaps the easiest of the two to define. Training to be an NSRI crewman takes many hours of commitment, learning and service before the crew qualification is awarded. The training programme includes theory modules on E-learning, Practical seamanship, Sea time, Advanced First Aid, Navigation, Firefighting, and Responding to rescue emergencies. By the time the learner is awarded their crew status, they would have put in many hours of duty and effort, and I would not hesitate recommending them for full school colours.

The NSRI Lifeguards require many hours of fitness training in order to

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

achieve the Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) qualification award. Lifeguards are required to demonstrate their knowledge, skill and fitness in the following: swimming in the surf and retrieving a person in difficulty, running and swimming against the clock, paddling out to sea with a Malibu board or rescue board and retrieving a casualty, basic first aid and CPR, and hand and whistle signals.

Other Lifeguards do their duties in the summer season on weekends and school holidays. NSRI Lifeguards are on duty 24/7 all year round as they also form part of the rescue crew that is on duty.

In addition to the LSA lifeguard training programme, NSRI Lifeguards also do the same training and courses for rescue crew members as mentioned above.

It is envisaged that, in time, NSRI volunteers will not only achieve the Lifeguard Award, but will also go on to achieve rescue crew status.

It is my suggestion that a learner is awarded half-colours for achieving the following: ■ Obtaining a lifeguard qualification ■ Maintaining the lifeguard qualification

(retraining/qualifying annually, which is a LSA requirement) ■ Providing a lifesaving service to the community for 20 hours ■ Providing 20 hours of first-aid service at school sport events For full colours, I would suggest that the same criteria are applied as for half-colours, but that the learner would have needed to qualify as a rescue crew member as mentioned above, as this requires an enormous amount of time and effort. - Rhine Barnes

We are very pleased to report that the school responded: ‘I am accepting your suggestion exactly as you proposed. Thank you so much for the contribution the NSRI plays in the lives of our learners.

We can see the results daily. The discipline at the station is creating a culture of self-discipline, motivation and service among the learners.

We are privileged to have them with us. Your organisation is creating responsible citizens.’

– Elmie Benjamin, Melkbosstrand High

WE WELCOME NEW PLATINUM PARTNERS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

WEST POINT PROCESSORS ABOVE: West Point Processors, the producers of Saldanha canned pilchards, is proud to be a Platinum Partner of the NSRI, which plays an integral part in keeping the oceans safe for its employees.

RIGHT: NSRI corporate relationship manager Stuart Moerdyk with West Point Processors director Johan Witbooi.

GOLD PARTNERSHIPS

• Atlasware • Lusitania Marketing Services

‘TerraSan Group is delighted to confirm that we wish to participate as a Platinum Partner with the NSRI. We will be proud to be associated with the NSRI, which has over many years delivered an excellent service to the South African fishing industry and our seagoing staff.’

– TerraSan Group

‘The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), with its focus on ensuring safety of life and property in the marine domain, is proud to join hands with the NSRI, a key partner when it comes to the saving of lives of those in peril at sea. The truly professional conduct of the NSRI teams around the country in support of the goal of saving lives is outstanding. SAMSA is proud to be associated with these proudly South African men and women who volunteer their time and put their lives on hold to help others.’ – SAMSA

ISLAND VIEW SHIPPING GOLF DAY THIRTEEN years ago, Island View Shipping hosted a golf day at the Richards Bay Country Club in aid of Station 19 (Richards Bay). It is now a firm tradition, and year after year the event gets bigger and better.

From very humble beginnings with tentative support from local service providers, Island View Shipping would double the nett income. The income started to climb steadily, reaching almost R1.7 million to date.

The success of this event would not be possible without the unwavering commitment of all who participate in one way or another. On behalf of Martyn Wade from Island View Shipping and NSRI Station 19’s station commander, Bernard Minnie, and his crew, a very big THANK YOU. Handing over a (new) record cheque of R410 000.

• Peregrine Equities • Denso SA (Pty) Ltd

• Macs Maritime Carrier Shipping (Pty) Ltd

• Store Maintenance and

Installation Specialists (Pty) Ltd • JLT South Africa (Pty) Ltd • Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing • Mix Telematics International (Pty) Ltd • Freddy Hirsch Group • Imperial Group Ltd t/a Alert Engine Parts • Viking Fishing Co (Pty) Ltd • Richards Bay Coal Terminal • Anglo American Thermal Coal - New Vaal Colliery • Press Spinning & Stamping Co • De Beers Marine (Pty) Ltd • Westpoint Fishing Corporation • Robertson and Caine • Africa Bunkering & Shipping • Lusitania Marketing Services • A&M Logistics (Pty) Ltd • Duxbury Networking • RF Designs • Denys Edwardes Approved Collision Repair Centre

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

| 29

FUNDRAISING 1

WINE AUCTION

2

A GREAT SUCCESS In October we hosted our 23rd Annual Wine Auction at The Rotunda, The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay, raising R300 000 towards our new 6.5m rescue boat for Hermanus. Half of the crew came through for the evening to meet our guests, while the other half stayed home on call for emergencies.

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6

3

5

4

1. Steve Pike of Wavescape with Janet Heard 2. Mark and Gabi Bayly 3. The Three J’s: Jennie, Josie and Jane 4. Lee Goldie of Drips Plumbing 5. Ryk Neethling, CEO of The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, and Luca Gallarelli, Group Managing Director: Ogilvy South Africa 6. Danielle Fourie, Mark McLagan, Jessica Pote, Richard Lindeque, Hermanus StatCom Bertie Fisher, Ray Megwede, Chris Venter and Kleinmond StatCom Schalk Boonzaier 7. Warren Poole of Nedbank Private Wealth.

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SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2018

environment

BUILDING FUTURES

FROM TOP LEFT: Recyclable collection boats; laptop bags and Christmas decorations; Jodie McFarlane completed her matric at Lawhill Maritime Centre in 2017, and is working as a marketing intern at Sea Rescue.

We can all play a part in reducing our impact on the planet. And it starts with simple, everyday habits, discovers Jodie McFarlane.

A

man was walking along the beach when, in the distance, he noticed a boy picking up something and gently throwing it back into the sea. ‘What are you doing?’ the man asked. ‘Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die,’ the boy replied. ‘Son,’ the man said, ‘There are miles and miles of beach, and hundreds of starfish. You can’t make a difference!’ After listening politely to the man’s reply, the young boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, ‘I made a difference for that one.’

This story becomes more relevant every day. Sea Rescue believes in saving lives and creating futures – and in order to do that we need to act responsibly so

that there is a future to create and to hold on to. In this future, we hope for an educated generation, educated about the safety in and around water and the important role the ocean plays in our lives daily.

To try and achieve this future, we have committed ourselves to increasing our greener conscience and decreasing our carbon footprint. Many of our bases have been equipped with LED lighting, which is up to 80% more effective than traditional lighting and 95% of the energy is converted into light. When only 5% is wasted as heat energy, it decreases the demand from power plants and, in the long run, reduces carbon emissions and our carbon footprint.

As a nation, we have also been threatened with the scarcity of fresh water. This requires all of us to adapt to a culture of

saving and developing harvesting infrastructures. Water-storage tanks for the collection of rainwater is an ongoing process so that our rescue craft remain clean without the use of drinking water. We have a responsibility to the oceans and, like in the story of the young boy and the starfish, every little step forward – or every single starfish we throw back – makes a difference. Disposing of IT equipment responsibly, printing our integrated reports on 100% recyclable paper, turning our old wetsuits into laptop bags, drawstring bags and Christmas decorations… These are our starfish.

We have a responsibility towards water. According to National Geographic’s guide on how plankton affects the air we breathe, rainforests are responsible for roughly a third of the earth’s oxygen. Most (70%) of the oxygen in the atmosphere is produced by marine plants. With our dependence on single-use plastic and the failure to dispose of waste properly, we poison the air we breathe. In a clean-up done by the volunteer group Beach Co-op, straws, cooldrink lids, sweet wrappers, earbuds and lollipop sticks were found to be the biggest contributors to the waste.

These are changes we can make. The next time we can refuse the bag and the straw, pick up that piece of litter, choose recyclable paper for publishing, and refuse to walk past the starfish.

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on track

Application of effective technologies can save valuable time during a rescue operation. NSRI’s operations manager, Brett Ayres, shares some of the latest developments and the value of collaborative efforts.

S

EA RESCUE is fortunate to have excellent support from external partners and organisations operating at the cutting edge of new technologies. In addition, we have a talented pool of passionate rescue volunteers who work with applied technologies in their daily lives, including weather and climate scientists, cloud-computing and ITC experts, architects, drone operators and strategic-thinking consultants.

These volunteers have made their expertise, contacts and industry knowledge available to Sea Rescue in the form of a technology or ‘futures’ committee where ideas and proposals are considered and evaluated. They have the free space to look ahead, to experiment and research ideas and concepts. When an idea has passed muster with them, it is then proposed to our Operational Support Committee and, if found worthy, budgeted for and operationalised to make a difference in the daily missions of our rescue stations.

One such project that we have been working on in association with the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is Oceans and Coasts: Information Management System, or OCIMS – it’s a great example of how an idea can be transformed into an operational tool that will save lives.

MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: DR BEREND MAARSINGH, STATION 12 (KNYSNA)

staying

TECH

0.1 > = x 1.0 = x 2.0 = x 4.0 = x 5.0 = x 6.0 = x 9.0 < = x

MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: DR BEREND MAARSINGH, STATION 12 (KNYSNA)

MORE ABOUT OCIMS OCIMS is part of the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Operation Phakisa to exploit the economic potential of the seas around South Africa and one of the Oceans Governance workstreams that provide an information system that helps extend our earth-observation capability.

In short, it is part of an initiative to unlock and preserve the economic potential of our Exclusive Economic Zone around our coast. (You can read more about this at www.ocims.gov.za/.)

The idea behind OCIMS is to support a variety of ocean and coastal initiatives by providing information and decision support. To this end, teams at the CSIR have been working with many South African research agencies and scientists to develop a range of online tools*. One such tool is ‘Operations at Sea’, which has very useful benefits for Sea Rescue and the people we rescue.

In 2017 we were approached by Marc De Vos, a scientist with the South African Weather Service and coxswain at Station 3 (Table Bay), who was assisting Dr Bjorn Backeberg of the CSIR with the development of the OCIMS Operations at Sea tool, believing it could be of assistance to Sea Rescue.

At the time we were constructing a training programme for stations to

The Operations at Sea tool has algorithms built into it that shave off the many minutes (and errors) that come with manual calculations and plotting. It works by providing an instant result with only four data inputs: what is missing; what time it went missing; rescue vessel ETA; and where it was last seen (via a dropped pin on a map).

The search area datum and coordinates are instantly provided for the rescue vessel to proceed to, and a search area box plotted on the map.

perform rapid searches. Coincidentally, around this time, Marc was involved with a search for a missing paddler off Robben Island and mentioned how valuable an application that incorporated very high-resolution weather and ocean data (historical, present and forecast) with the last known position of a person in the water could be in speeding up a rescue response. In the frigid waters off Cape Town, mere minutes determine the difference between life and death.

Through many meetings since, the tool was developed and is currently being refined into one that will soon be available for use on a browser that Sea Rescue controllers can access via their phone, simply, quickly and accurately – saving lives. *Among other tools that currently form part of the OCIMS suite are harmful algal bloom monitoring, marine spatial planning, coastal flood hazard identification, and integrated vessel tracking.

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When a crewman aboard the fishing vessel Ouma was injured after being caught in a winch, rescue crew wasted no time in stabilising and evacuating him to safety. Cherelle Leong tells us more.

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Sea Rescue SUMMER 2018

W

hen fishing 40nm out to sea and a crewman gets caught up in an operating winch there’s no time to waste in calling for help. Having been snagged on his arm first, the crewman had been pulled into the winch for two full revolutions before it could be stopped, and the situation was critical. As the captain notified Cape Town Port Control, Station 8 (Hout Bay) and Metro Emergency Medical Services were activated to respond. This was 11am on Thursday, 24 May. Duty coxswain Sven Gussenhoven knew it would be the type of call to really test the crew’s capabilities. Far out to sea in rough conditions, the full extent of the patient’s injuries was unknown. The heavy cloud cover over Cape Town had meant that it was deemed that a helicopter evacuation was unsafe. It was up to the Station 8 crew and Metro medics to

ensure the patient had the best chance of survival.

Deep sea rescue vessel Nadine Gordimer and fast-reaction 7.3m RIB Albie Matthews were launched with specialised maritime extrication equipment and crew on board. While Nadine Gordimer waited for the Metro medics to arrive, Albie Matthews got a head start to rendezvous with the casualty vessel FV Ouma, which was steaming towards Hout Bay. Twenty nautical miles out, Albie Matthews met up with FV Ouma, and NSRI crew member Lee Cooper was transferred on board to assess the situation. He found the patient wrapped in blankets under a tarpaulin and lying on his left side. While he was semiconscious, it was obvious that he was in a great deal of pain. His fellow crewmen had done a superb job of slowing the bleeding and making him as comfortable as possible. Their concern evidenced that this was a tightly knit fishing crew.

Looking at the massive winch that the patient had been caught in, Lee immediately assumed a spinal injury. While he was conducting his initial medical

Photographs: jason de villiers

critical EVACUATION OFF oUMA

real-life rescue

... it had been a

challenging call [but] the operation

Photographs: jason de villiers

was completed assessment, Nadine Gordimer arrived on the scene. Two more NSRI crew members, Bevan Geyser and Jason de Villiers, transferred onto FV Ouma, along with the Metro paramedic and doctor. When they turned the patient onto his back, the full extent of his injuries became apparent.

His left arm had been shredded from his elbow down, with multiple cuts and abrasions, and there was a compound fracture below the wrist from which bones were protruding. His left shoulder had been wrenched from its socket and was only attached to his body by a thin cord of muscle and skin.

The medics began setting up an intravenous drip to replace fluids and administer drugs. Unfortunately the rough sea conditions were not what they were used to and both medics soon succumbed to acute seasickness. The three NSRI crewmen stepped up, taking over the medical treatment under the direction of the medics. While Lee focused on maintaining spinal immobilisation, Jason and Bevan wrapped and immobilised the injured arm and helped administer painkillers. As they worked, the patient slipped in and out of consciousness. Because of the severity

Due to the combined efforts of Station 8, the Air Sea Rescue Unit and Metro, the casualty was evacuated safely and taken to Groote Schuur Hospital. The young crewmen (pictured above) were integral to the rescue: Lee Cooper (20), Bevan Geyser (22) and Jason de Villiers (22).

of the patient’s injuries, the Metro doctor was concerned about the two-hour boat trip back to Hout Bay. Out to sea the skies were clear and there was no reason the helicopter couldn’t get to them. The doctor made the call that a helicopter evacuation was essential.

While waiting for the helicopter, the NSRI crew started preparing the patient to be airlifted. To ensure he would be as comfortable as possible, the man was placed in a vacuum mattress and Bauman bag, which would secure him tightly. He was then placed into Nadine Gordimer’s medivac stretcher. The best place on the fishing vessel to hoist from was a small section on the aft deck.

Getting the patient there required a combined effort by the NSRI and fishing vessel crew, lifting and sliding him up over the crates and down the narrow side deck.

without a hitch.

With the helicopter on the scene, Station 29 (Air Sea Rescue Unit) rescue swimmers PJ Rabie and Davide Del Fante were deployed. The patient was carefully lifted into the helicopter’s medivac stretcher. Then, accompanied by PJ, Davide, the Metro doctor and paramedic, he was airlifted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.

While it had been a challenging call and the young NSRI crew had been stretched beyond their normal rescue capabilities, the operation was completed without a hitch and the patient is reported to be making a slow and steady recovery. Lyall Pringle, station commander at Station 8 (Hout Bay), had only praise for their efforts.

NSRI CEO Cleeve Robertson had this to say: ‘Extremely challenging medical call. Well done to both EMS and NSRI crew! We can now reach, rescue and repatriate more serious illnesses and injuries thanks to training, technology and teamwork. Kudos!’

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CREW STORIES

RESCUE

AT THE HEADS

Photographs: Dr Berend Maarsingh, station 12 (knysna)

Station 12 (Knysna) rescued 10 tourists and the skipper of the capsized 8.9m RIB charter Moonraker on 4 July. Coxswain Chris van Staden tells us his personal story.

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Sea Rescue SUMMER 2018

Messages of support My family and I were visiting The Heads when these events unfolded. It is great to hear that all ended well. Congratulations to the brave responders. Thank you for the amazing work you do.

Adam Hellyer

Photographs: Dr Berend Maarsingh, station 12 (knysna)

A

s a senior member of the rescue crew at Station 12 (Knysna), I decided to put pen to paper for the first time in the almost 30 years that I have been a volunteer.

To the many in our community and, in fact, from well beyond Knysna, thank you for the messages of congratulations and support following our rescue efforts yesterday. To be a volunteer in an organisation like the NSRI one makes enormous sacrifices in business, family and social time in order to be adequately trained to carry out the task at hand: saving lives and assisting those in peril on water. Most times when we have to go, conditions are atrocious and we put our own safety at risk; that’s why we dedicate so much time to training.

When we do have a rescue call-out as happened yesterday, we have to get from our homes, workplaces, wherever we are, and report to our base at The Heads as quickly as possible. We may not drive recklessly or disobey traffic rules but we understand that we need to get there with as much haste as possible. We fight our way through traffic, as yesterday at lunch time and in the middle of the Oyster Festival season. The majority of us are in unrecognisable private vehicles with hazard indicators on, trying to get to the base as urgently as possible. We do

not sit at the base, waiting for a call-out – we are volunteers and have our own businesses to run.

Yesterday, after the incredible effort of getting to the base as quickly as possible, changing into our wetsuits and personal safety equipment and launching our boats, we safely recovered 11 casualties from the freezing water in, to put it mildly, challenging sea conditions. We then repacked our equipment, got the boats washed down, refuelled and ready for the next call-out and still had a 95% turnout for our normal Wednesday training evening just two hours after that rescue.

The facts are that we had two boats, namely Jolen and Jaytee 4, on the scene recovering casualties within seven minutes of being alerted. SEVEN minutes.

Despite the challenges mentioned above.

Our ‘mother ship’ Eileen Medway took a little longer as we firstly waited for more crew and, having a much deeper draught, she needs to be hauled further out in order to launch.

All the casualties were back in our base being attended to by the rest of our crew, including two medical doctors, in a little over 20 minutes.

Even after almost 30 years of service, I am immensely proud and still a little astonished at how fast we managed to do it.

It is fantastic that nobody was seriously injured. Well done on the quick response. The sea temp was 11 degrees, which hastens hypothermia. It was also change of neap tide with a gentle incoming tide. A heavy outgoing spring tide would have made matters more serious ...

A Read I watched the whole episode unfold as I was fishing off the rock called Elf Kranz at Coney Glen at the time of the incident. I have fished this spot for more than 40 years and this is not the first incident of this type I have witnessed. I have a video of the rescue that I started taking after l saw the vessel capsize.

My prayers were for the safety of both the unfortunates and the NSRI crew. It is good to hear they all got out safely.

Simon Hodgson Well done and many thanks to the rescue team, the medical team plus others who assisted. This is further proof that the little contribution we make can result in fantastic outcomes and save lives.

Keep up the good work.

Bongani Cele

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The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation will partner with the NSRI to raise awareness around water safety. Debbie Hathway spoke to the foundation’s CEO Ryk Neethling about drowning prevention and a celebrity fundraiser planned for Cape Town.

F

our-time Olympic champion Ryk Neethling is no stranger to near drowning. He was five years old at the time.

‘It was in Bloem. I was playing in the neighbour’s pool,’ Ryk recalls. ‘There were a couple of boys in the pool and I was in the shallow end, on the steps.

I went in a little bit too deep. I wasn’t that strong in the water, and I ended up at the bottom of the pool and I just kind

of lay there. Luckily one of the oldest boys saw this after a couple of seconds, jumped in and pulled me out.

‘It was obviously very clear that I wasn’t water safe. My mom freaked out and took me to swim school the following day. She tells the story that I refused to get in the water for a few days but she had said, “I’m paying a lot of money for these lessons; you’d better get in the water.” So I got in the water and that’s where it all started.’

Ryk has since established Swimming Stars™ Learn to Swim Schools in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape. One of the main goals is to make kids water safe. After eight to 10 lessons with an instructor they know how to float on their back if they fall in, or get to the side, or find the 90 seconds needed to save them from drowning.

‘It’s a good system. It also creates a lifelong passion among people for water, where they’re comfortable in it, and they love it.’

ABOVE: The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has invested in a number of drowning prevention initiatives and organisations in South Africa including the sponsorship of rescue equipment for Lifesaving South Africa. We believe in cooperation and collaboration. Together we are better. LEFT: After his mother insisted on swimming lessons, Ryk Neethling began achieving in the sport at a young age. Here he is presented with a ‘Swimmer of the Gala’ trophy.

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Sea Rescue SUMMER 2018

Photographs: GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED

one person, one family, one community at a time

drowning prevention RIGHT: Former F1 Champion, David Coulthard and Prince Albert II at the 2017 event. BELOW: Ryk Neethling and Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene during the Riviera Water Bike Challenge.

Photographs: GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED

Water Bike Challenge Ryk has been an ambassador for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation for three years and was appointed CEO in December 2017. The foundation is partnering with the NSRI to further promote this awareness and will be hosting a Water Bike Challenge to raise funds during the Discovery Triathlon World Series in Cape Town in February 2019.

‘A focus of the foundation is to promote water safety, to prevent drowning – and that’s exactly what the NSRI does.

What we’re very excited about is the work the NSRI does in the classrooms. They send facilitators in to talk to the kids, to interact with them and teach them what to do if a kid falls in to the water – how to get them out, how to conduct CPR. Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene is very passionate about this.’

The event is going to be unlike any other ever seen in South Africa, promises Ryk. Entries are invited from teams of five who are required to pedal across the water on Schiller S1-C water bikes in a 20km relay race. This equipment is a sustainable, almost silent, bicyclecatamaran design that is entirely human-powered. (It’s also compact enough

for travel purposes and can be assembled in less than 10 minutes.)

Organisations can enter three representatives to race with two celebrities, personalities or athletes, and are advised to choose wisely. Some prior fitness training is highly recommended.

In addition to Monaco’s royal family, the celebrity contingent is likely to include rugby and cricket personalities Francois Pienaar and AB de Villiers, as well as Formula 1 stars. ‘The water bike is much harder to pedal than a road bike, but the exercise is the perfect balance between tough and fun…

You feel like you’ve worked. It’s fun and rewarding,’ says Ryk. The Water Bike Challenge has been held twice before in Monaco. Ryk’s team won in the first year, and Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco’s team won in 2017. Funds raised will surely change lives through the foundation’s collaboration with the NSRI and ensure the continuation of the incredible work by the foundation – one person, one family, one community at a time.

‘A focus of the

foundation is to

promote water safety,

to prevent drowning – and that’s exactly what the NSRI does.

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STATION DIRECTORY

The nsri is manned by more than 1 000 volunteers at 40 bases around the country, including five inland dams. Our volunteers have day jobs but will always respond to your emergency.

☎ ☎

STN 2 BAKOVEN StatCom: PJ Rabie

082 990 5962 STN 3 TABLE BAY StatCom: Dr Quentin Botha

082 990 5963 STN 4 MYKONOS StatCom: Casper Frylinck

082 990 5966 STN 5 DURBAN StatCom: Andre Fletcher

082 990 5948 STN 6 PORT ELIZABETH StatCom: Ian Gray

082 990 0828 STN 7 EAST LONDON StatCom: Geoff McGregor

082 990 5972 STN 8 HOUT BAY StatCom: Lyall Pringle

082 990 5964

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General needs Data projectors and speakers or flat-screen 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 | Longlife 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 functions | Training-room chairs.

You can also make a cash or EFT donation and let us know which rescue base you would like to support. Cheques can be mailed to: NSRI, PO Box 154, Green Point 8051.

Deposits can be made at: ABSA, Heerengracht branch Branch code: 506 009 Account number: 1382480607 Account holder: National Sea Rescue Institute Swift code: ABSA-ZA-JJ 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.

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STN 25 HARTBEESPOORT DAM StatCom: Michael Saunders

082 990 5961 STN 26 KOMMETJIE StatCom: Ian Klopper

082 990 5979 STN 27 GAUTENG StatCom: Gerhard Potgieter

060 991 9301 STN 28A PORT ST JOHNS StatCom: John Costello

082 550 5430 STN 29 AIR-SEA RESCUE StatCom: Marius Hayes

082 990 5980 STN 30 AGULHAS StatCom: Reinard Geldenhuys

082 990 5952 STN 31 STILL BAY StatCom: Arrie Combrinck

082 990 5978 STN 32 PORT EDWARD StatCom: John Nicholas

082 990 5951 STN 33 WITSAND StatCom: Martin Fourie

082 990 5957 STN 34 YZERFONTEIN StatCom: Willem Lubbe

082 990 5974 STN 35 WITBANK StatCom: Dean Wegerle

060 962 2620 STN 36 OYSTER BAY StatCom: Mark Mans

082 990 5968 STN 37 JEFFREYS BAY StatCom: Rieghard Janse

van Rensburg

079 916 0390 STN 38 THEEWATERSKLOOF StatCom: Shane Wiscombe

072 446 6344 STN 39 ROCKY BAY StatCom: Kevin Fourie

072 652 5158 STN 40 ST LUCIA StatCom: Jan Hofman

063 699 2722 STN 41 BALLITO StatCom: Quentin Power

060 305 4803 STN 42 KLEINMOND StatCom: Schalk Boonzaaier

083 419 4557

Sea Rescue summer 2018

STN 9 GORDON’S BAY StatCom: Alan Meiklejohn

021 449 3500 STN 10 SIMON’S TOWN StatCom: Darren Zimmermann

082 990 5965 STN 11 PORT ALFRED StatCom: Juan Pretorius

082 990 5971 STN 12 KNYSNA StatCom: Jerome Simonis

082 990 5956 STN 14 PLETTENBERG BAY StatCom: Marc Rodgers

082 990 5975 STN 15 MOSSEL BAY StatCom: André Fraser

082 990 5954 STN 16 STRANDFONTEIN StatCom: Vaughn Seconds

082 990 6753 STN 17 HERMANUS StatCom: Deon Langenhoven

082 990 5967 STN 18 MELKBOSSTRAND StatCom: Rhine Barnes

082 990 5958 STN 19 RICHARDS BAY StatCom: Bernard Minnie

082 990 5949 STN 20 SHELLY BEACH StatCom: Jeremiah Jackson

082 990 5950 STN 21 ST FRANCIS BAY StatCom: Sara Smith

082 990 5969 STN 22 VAAL DAM StatCom: Dirk Manten

083 626 5128 STN 23 WILDERNESS StatCom: Garth Dominy (Acting)

082 990 5955 STN 24 LAMBERT’S BAY StatCom: Gregory Cloete [Acting]

060 960 3027

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DW5600BB Edgars NSRI Summer FLH.pdf

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2018/10/09

15:30

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SPECIFICATIONS AND PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE