NSRI Sea Rescue Autumn 2020

SEA RESCUE R14.95 | AUTUMN 2020 FREE TO NSRI MEMBERS

SURVIVAL SWIMMING HELPS KIDS STAY AFLOAT

need the practicality of a dedicated workhorse or the luxury and versatility of an SUV, the smooth yet powerful performance, thanks to the Triton’s combination of its superresponsive engine and silky transmission, handles anything thrown at it – in comfort.

133kW@3500rpm and 430Nm@2500rpm

7 Airbags

6-speed Automatic and Manual Transmissions

ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors

Super Select II 4WD System with Rear diff-lock*

Keyless Operating System

Electronic Off-road Assistance*

ABS, EBD and Brake Assist

ASTC (Active Stability & Traction Control)

Hill Descent Control*

SUPER SELECT

Engineered Beyond Tough

As tough as it comes – the new, bolder Triton is engineered beyond tough. Whether you

4WD-II

Over the 2 500 kilometre trip the Triton consumed only 6.8l/100km. *4x4 Models. Terms and Conditions apply. For pricing information and specifications please visit one of our dealerships or our website.

Free 4x4 driver training. www.mitsubishi-motors.co.za

NSRI_Triton_225x170_Ad.indd 1

1/29/20 1:47 PM

CONTENTS AUTU M N 2020 2

LETTERS

10

SURVIVAL SWIMMING LESSONS LAUNCHED Find out more about a new way to volunteer for Sea Rescue by teaching vital floating skills.

12

MIRACLE MONDAY IN OYSTER BAY How serendipity – and a Pink Rescue Buoy – saved the lives of two people caught in a deadly rip current.

14

MEDEVAC AT SEA Station 5 (Durban) and the SAAF were dispatched to carry out the medical evacuation of five critically ill Brazilian crewmen.

16 THE SEA IS ALWAYS IN CHARGE

How Plett crew assisted

a group of surfskiers in peril.

20

KIDS’ CLUB What is a rip current and how can a Pink Rescue Buoy help save a life?

22

QUICK THINKING SAVES A LIFE Reghard Vorster is honoured

by Sea Rescue for saving the life of a young girl at a campsite swimming pool.

23

VIGILENCE AND SERVICE Andrew Ingram pays tribute to Clive Cerff, whose legacy will live on in the Strandfontein lifeguard unit.

24 IN THE NEWS

Fundraising drives, events,

and station and sponsor news.

32

32

FUTURE FIT How Lawhill Centre in Simon’s Town is nurturing the maritime specialists of the future.

34

THE RESCUE THAT LAUNCHED A FLEET After the miraculous rescue of Casper Kruger in 2006, the surfski community began a fundraising drive for Sea Rescue.

To date it has funded six RIBs.

36

LOCATION MATTERS More about W3W, an algorithm designed for search and rescue on land and at sea.

38 COLOURFUL LITTLE CHARACTERS

Discover more about the

secret – and unconventional

– lives of seahorses.

40 STATION DIRECTORY

10 14

SAVING LIVES. CHANGING LIVES. CREATING FUTURES.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 1

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

www.facebook.com/SeaRescue @nsri youtube.com/c/NSRISeaRescue

The story of Enoch Mpianzi and the Nyati School Camp made headlines recently, stirring educators and officials to criticise and condemn, calling for investigations, actions, heads to roll! But, in fact, Enoch’s story that week was just one of more than 10 children who drowned in a short period.

Fatal drownings in South Africa, 30% of which are children, are a daily reality.

All drownings are preventable. The systems we bring to society are what will prevent these tragic incidents, save our children, prevent the trauma to families and the associated personal and economic loss.

The truth is, we don’t have a culture of swimming or of safety in our country, and it is easy to blame individual teachers or event organisers, abrogating our responsibility as a society to mitigate drowning systemically.

Swimming isn’t a compulsory part of the education curriculum. None of the schools our water safety instructors visit has a swimming pool, and very few are near a municipal pool where children can learn to swim.

Swimming is a survival skill yet it is barely on the radar of education. Something is wrong.

Surely the system should deal with things that could save your life before dealing with other learnings. The Minister of Education can threaten individuals all he likes, but the fact is that he is complicit in Enoch’s fatal drowning. As are we all.

Sea Rescue is investing significant effort and your funds in both primary and secondary prevention of drowning. In 2019 we educated more than 530 000 children in water safety and in 2020 we launch our Survival Swimming programme to teach children to float and get themselves to safety, so that they have the skills to survive if they unexpectedly find themselves in water.

We believe we can make a difference – if we can reach more than a million children a year, by the end of basic education every child should be able to swim to survive.

At the same time we have to address our culture of safety.

You will not find a Sea Rescue volunteer, trained and skilled as they are, not wearing a lifejacket and personal protective equipment at sea. Why? Because they have seen the consequences. They have pulled drowning victims from the water.

People say, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ In this case culture could save your life or that of your child, a friend or a loved one.

Partner, collaborate, team up: we need every ounce of help we can get to save lives in puddles, ponds, dams, canals, oceans, baths, latrines, trenches and buckets all over South Africa. Join us!

@searescuesa

THE CREW

DR CLEEVE ROBERTSON, CEO

THE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP: MANAGING EDITOR Wendy Maritz / ART DIRECTOR Ryan Manning / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Nic Morkel / ADVERTISING MANAGER Sameegha Wolhuter / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mark Beare / MANAGING DIRECTOR Susan Newham-Blake / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR John Morkel. 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 / PR/COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Megan Hughes CELL 083 443 7319 EMAIL meganh@searescue.org.za / COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Craig Lambinon CELL 082 380 3800 EMAIL communications@searescue.org.za PRODUCED FOR THE NSRI BY The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018. Copyright: The Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd 2019.

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.

PRINTING Novus Print / ISSN 1812-0644

2 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

LETTERS

PHOTOGRAPH: ANDREW INGRAM

SEA RESCUE R14.95 | AUTUMN 2019

FREE TO NSRI MEMBERS

SCAN HERE TO DONATE

BECOMING A

CLASS 1 COXSWAIN

SNAPSCAN

ZAPPER

SEA RESCUE R14.95 | WINTER 2019

FREE TO NSRI MEMBERS

NSRI’S NEW 14m ORC

ALICK RENNIE IS HOME

SCAN HERE TO DONATE

SNAPSCAN

ZAPPER

For NSRI membership or Sea Rescue subscription details: Email info@searescue.org.za or phone (021) 434 4011

4 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

WINNING LETTER

Thank you, Caroline, for sharing your story with us. Your books and hoodie are on their way.

MY JOURNEY WITH THE SEA Although I grew up in Cape Town, surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, my first time in the sea was only a few years ago. It was in Kommetjie and I was terrified. It was a big help to see the NSRI boat going past. I knew, at least, if I got swept out or started to drown I would be saved quickly. My second nautical adventure took me snorkelling with seals – equally as terrifying but so exhilarating at the same time! Since then, the sea has become a safe place for me.

In 2016 I was having the worst year of my life: my granny, who raised me, died; I lost my dream job; and I was hurt badly by someone I thought I could trust. In one particularly bad week, I went for my first surf lesson.

I thought it would be a good distraction. Initially I thought I was going to die, but the first time I rode a wave back to shore was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. Thankfully there were safety boats in the vicinity.

Since then, body boarding has become one of my favourite things to do. The sea washes everything negative out of my brain (and my sinuses too!).

At the end of 2018, my friend and I got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go shark-cage diving in Gansbaai.

I love sharks and this has always been a dream (despite my fear of open water). The boat crew were not hopeful about seeing any sharks, because the water was choppy and orcas were said to have chased the great whites from the bay a while ago.

They said we’d be lucky to see any sea life. However, three bronze whalers showed up, which was quite exciting – but nothing compared to that moment when, suddenly, a huge silvery flash shot past. A great white! A beautiful shark of about 2.5m. She came close, right up to the bars, then swam under the boat and back. (She even spooked the whalers.) We had the pleasure of her company for quite some time.

When we got back to the base, no one could believe we’d seen a great white. I felt so grateful. Thank you to everyone who helps keep the seas safe and who looks out for people like me who can’t control their buoyancy and emotions at the same time.

I love you, NSRI! CAROLINE ERIKSEN

PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

READ OUR COVER STORY ON PAGE 10.

PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

LETTERS Whenever I put on that red wetsuit, I’m in charge. Putting on a helmet, gloves and booties makes it even better. Not like years ago when the coxswain had priority to pick the best wetsuit. And if the booties fit his feet, you went barefoot. Even the wetsuits were ‘sized’ to fit to his comfort. Cutting the collar or the sleeves with a breadknife would make the fit better.

And you as crew had to be satisfied with the leftovers. But it was fine.

Just the privilege to wear a (faded) red NSRI wetsuit put you in charge.

Nowadays it has all changed. Every seagoing crew is equipped with the best. A tailor-made red wetsuit. A helmet with a visor, gloves, booties. And the best: a transformer with a small flashlight. Top-quality safety clothes, equipped to face the worst.

On 16 December I was one of eight people hiking the very popular Schaapplaats trail, a beautiful route in the Ruiterbos district. The first section goes through indigenous forest, then a steep uphill among proteas and then down to the river, where we would have spent the day. This last section to the river is a bit tricky, quite steep down the cliffs, and not really accessible by road yet worth the walk.

Then it happened, just before we descended down to the river: Henkie slipped and injured her ankle. (Henkie and her husband, Fluffie own Schaapplaats). We all could see it was quite serious. We had to get help rather urgently. It was at that stage that I knew how fortunate I was to know NSRI Station 15 (Mossel Bay).

The rest of the group made Henkie as comfortable as possible while Len and myself made our way through the thick black wattle trees up the steep hill to find a way out and to get a cellphone signal. I called NSRI Mossel Bay and acting Statcom Justin (standing in for Andre, who is almost never absent) answered.

6 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

I asked him for assistance and, if possible, a chopper would be first prize. After consultation, Justin called to say that the chopper is not available but the crew are on their way.

They arrived at Schaapplaats in record time. I met them at the entrance gate, we discussed the plan of action and, after some 4x4 driving, we stopped at a point from where the long walk started. Once we reached the group, crewman Adrian stabilised Henkie’s ankle for the evacuation.

She was put onto a spinal board and inside a Bauman bag so that six crew could carry her uphill to safety.

It was a tough walk with several rests in between before we reached the mobile. It was actually a rescue for a chopper, but since that wasn’t possible, the rescue crew did not

hesitate for a second to take on the challenge. And they did it brilliantly.

One of the hikers offered the rescue crew cold beer, and to my surprise one of the youngsters very politely said, ‘Baie dankie, maar ons mag nie alkohol gebruik nie; ons is aan diens.’

Hats off, young man. Henkie was taken to hospital in their private vehicle, and it was found that she has broken her ankle on two places.

To put it in Henkie’s own words: ‘Aan al die wonderlike mense wat my gehelp het om bo te kom, baie dankie vir julle onbaatsugtige werk. Ek moet sê dis die wonderlikste ding wat iemand nog vir my gedoen het. Ek het julle so jammer gekry met die sware vrag, maar ons sal regmaak met julle.

Dankie ook vir diegene wat met hulle privaat voertuie gery het. Ek het nie

PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

I’M IN CHARGE, UNTIL…

woorde om julle te bedank nie. Al wat ek kan sê is dankie! Dankie! Dankie.’

When I am wearing the red wetsuit, I am in charge. But without it I am vulnerable. Fortunately, I knew Station 15. Thank you to all the crew who came to the rescue. Even 35km away from your natural environment (the ocean), you were still, once again, the professional team, in charge in the red wetsuits.

DAWIE ZWIEGELAAR, STATION 15 (MOSSEL BAY)

THANKS TO SIMON’S TOWN

PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

On behalf of Chris, myself and our daughter, Gavan, and son, Chad, I would like to express our sincere appreciation and grateful thanks to you, Darren and Andrew, and all the crew members for accommodating our request to scatter Chris’ ashes in

the bay at False Bay Yacht Club on 28 December 2019.

From the day I called you to make the arrangements to the welcome our large family group received at the gate, your patient assistance with completing the required forms, the way we were escorted to the rescue craft, buckled up safely and informed about procedures and what was expected of us, the fact that you found a calm place to stop on the otherwise choppy waters and a screwdriver to undo the box, and assisted in dropping the ashes into the water – your caring compassion, consideration and the precious time you took out of your busy schedules to spend with us were so heartwarming and very gratefully appreciated by us all.

The day turned out to be a fun excursion, which, knowing Chris, was

exactly what he would have wanted.

I know he would have approved 100% and without a doubt he was there having a good giggle at us each taking a turn at the wheel. It was such a nice gesture to allow us that privilege.

It was a really happy and peaceful closure. Although Chris had passed away in July last year, we chose to postpone the scattering until Chad could come out from Canada over Christmas, and NSRI team members took time out over the busy festive season to suit us.

Another big thank you, guys. Be assured that we will always keep the rescue crews in our prayers and spread the word about the sterling work you do to save lives and make our waters safer.

Blessings and Godspeed.

RENE, GAVAN AND CHAD LESCH

LETTERS WRITE TO US AND WIN! The writer of the winning letter published in the Winter 2020 issue of Sea Rescue will receive a Sea Rescue hoodie and a copy of Living Shores.

INSPIRING OUR FUTURE GENERATION ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Historically the answer has always been a policemen, a firefighter, an ambulance driver, a doctor or a paramedic. All careers of service and value in our communities. We can now add a rescue swimmer or NSRI volunteer to the list.

It’s amazing to see the young children of crew watching their parents with awe as they don their ‘superhero outfits’, taking commands over a twoway radio, rushing off to assist some-

8 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

one in trouble, and even instructing crew to remember to wash the boats when they returned.

Not all children are that lucky, so when you have the opportunity to show a child around a rescue vehicle, vessel or station, grab it and use it to inspire him or her. You will never know what hope or dream you have instilled in that young mind.

I had that opportunity about eight years ago when I showed a friend’s kids around the station after much pleading from her son. Unbeknownst to me, that was all he could talk about for the next seven years. He finally joined at 15, when we were taking juniors on.

Bryce Vorster’s enthusiasm didn’t end with the eventual access into our station, as he was still not crew. He made himself available at every opportunity so that he could learn every aspect of being a volunteer – from cleaning and maintenance to the numerous skills that need to be mastered.

Shortly after turning 16, Bryce became the youngest qualified crewman in our station’s history.

BRYNN GERICKE, STATION 19 (RICHARDS BAY)

Originally published in 1981, Living Shores was not only the standard reference for marine-science students but also embraced by the popular market for its fascinating insights into marine and coastal habitats and the life they support.

After a long absence, this bestselling classic is back, and has been completely revised and reworked to incorporate the many spectacular discoveries that have emerged over the last four decades concerning our oceans and coasts. Author George Branch is world renowned for his research on marine ecology.

Margo Branch is an award-winning biologist and illustrator with wide interests in research, interpretation and education.

Email your letters to info@ searescue.org.za or post them to Sea Rescue magazine, PO Box 15054, Vlaeberg 8018. (Letters may be shortened, and the winning letter is chosen at the editor’s discretion.)

Habot Marine Services (Pty) Ltd are the authorised distributors of Mobil Marine Lubricants, in South Africa and Mozambique.

Habot Marine Services (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 (0) 31 5346019 e-mail: paul@habotmarine.com | em-order@habotmarine.com www.habotmarine.co.za

SURVIVAL

SWIMMING LESSONS:

A new way to volunteer for Sea Rescue

T

HE COLOUR OF THE water at the Sea Point pavilion is a brilliant azure. It blends into the ocean behind it and the blue sky above. The picture it creates in one’s imagination is of a beautiful holiday, and the happy shouting of children swimming, splashing and having fun in the Cape Town municipal swimming pool only adds to this effect.

In the shallow pool there is a group of people wearing bright-pink vests and hats. The contrast with the water is remarkable, causing passers-by to stop and take another look.

10 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

It is a Saturday morning and a Sea Rescue Pop-up Survival Swimming lesson is in full swing. On the pool deck a Sea Rescue volunteer, dressed in the same lumo-pink, is giving a water safety lesson to 12 children who are sitting in a group, listening attentively. In the water are four instructors, also wearing bright pink, each with three ‘students’.

The students, who have brightpink caps on, are at different stages of what looks just like a swimming lesson. One group is holding hands in a circle and putting their faces

in the water. They blow bubbles through their noses and then have a good laugh at what they have just done. Another group is holding onto the wall and kicking for all they are worth.

The last three are floating on their backs, with their instructor beaming at them and offering advice. ‘Head back, head back … put your ears in the water,’ he encourages.

A student learning to float is one of the absolute highlights for the instructors. To be able to watch the face of one of your charges

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW INGRAM

Sea Rescue has launched a Survival Swimming programme that teaches children the basic skills to stay afloat should they find themselves in difficulty in the water. Andrew Ingram tells us more about this rather colourful initiative.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW INGRAM

DROWNING PREVENTION and see them realise that they are floating unaided is just brilliant.

Without exception, the sense of achievement is written all over their faces, and often that huge smile is the only reward the instructor wants.

Sea Rescue is in the process of creating what we are calling Pop-up Survival Swimming squads.

These squads are made up of v olunteers* from all walks of life who are strong swimmers and who would like to share the joy they get from swimming with disadvantaged children.

There are a number of issues for these children to overcome in learning to swim. Firstly, free swimming lessons are rare and therefore economic exclusion is real. Secondly many schools do not have swimming pools, so there is no chance of learning to swim at these schools like children at advantaged schools do.

Our answer was to take volunteers to where disadvantaged children swim, develop a method of assessing their ability quickly, and then to upskill them free of charge.

Sea Rescue’s national water safety team leader Eoudia Erasmus, who hails from Ceres, is leading the development of the lesson planning and practical exercises. With the cooperation of local schools, Eoudia, who has more than a decade’s experience in teaching swimming, chose children who could not swim and, lesson by lesson, child by child, worked out the most effective ways to teach a child self-rescue.

The initiative was developed after several recent stories involving children drowning a metre or two from safety. They would not have needed to swim 50 metres to survive; they would only have needed to know how to move as little as five meters through the water to get to safety.

Working alongside NSRI’s drowning prevention coordinator Yaseen Gamiet and with the support of the Princess

NSRI’s Survival Swimming squad is unmistakeable.

Here, they teach children the necessary skills to stay afloat and propel themselves to safety should they find themselves in trouble in the water.

THANK YOU TO Sonwabo Ndandani, Principal Facility Officer at the Sea Point Pavilion and to the Friends of the Sea Point Pavilion for working with us on piloting this programme.

Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa (PCMFSA), Eoudia soon whittled the lessons down to the bare bones. The children are taught how to control their breathing, orientate themselves in the water, float and then propel themselves to safety.

For Sea Rescue’s full-time Survival Swimming instructors, this means offering free lessons in a local pool on a regular appointment basis. But it became apparent that there are so many children who need help that this traditional appointment method of teaching swimming was just not

*All volunteers have undergone criminal background checks.

reaching enough children.

So, what if groups of volunteers could visit the places where children swim in order to assess their ability quickly and safely, and then upskill them in a 20-minute lesson?

Before the first lessons at the Sea Point pool, our instructors went around asking parents whether they would like them to assess their children’s swimming ability and then improve their skills. Most gratefully accepted and stood at the side of the pool watching their little ones learn survival skills.

By the third time the instructors visited the pool, the children and their parents came to them. In one two-hour period, 55 children were assessed and upskilled by four instructors!

‘The best thing for me, as we’re setting up, is seeing children who were our students the week before, practising their floating,’ says Yaseen.

‘The pride that is written on their faces is priceless. And their new skills might one day save their lives.’

If you are a strong swimmer and would like to volunteer as a Survival Swimming instructor, please email yaseen@searescue.org.za SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 11

PINK BUOYS

MIRACLE MONDAY

in Oyster Bay S

ITTING DOWN AT HIS desk in his home office, Lodewyk van Rensburg, Statcom of Station 36 (Oyster Bay), was not having the Monday he’d planned. Seeing as his meetings at Tsitsikamma and Kromme River had both been postponed, he figured he might as well catch up on some admin.

Lodewyk started reviewing the correspondence on the proposed site for the new Sea Rescue base. He knew the site well, but the other decision makers didn’t. And so he decided he’d drive to the property to take some photographs so that the others could see the terrain.

As he was getting into his personal bakkie, the thought crossed his mind to take the Sea Rescue vehicle instead. If it wasn’t driven every four to five days, the battery would go flat, and this was Sea Rescue business after all, so he went back inside and swopped keys before heading out.

On his way to the site, Lodewyk’s phone beeped with a WhatsApp message. Gerlinde Kerling, one of the local coast watchers, had messaged him to report that some children on the beach were playing with the pink rescue buoy. Immediately alarm bells 12 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

went off in Lodewyk’s head. He knew Sea Rescue worked closely with the local community and had run extensive workshops on water safety and the purpose of the pink buoy. It hadn’t been touched in the 18 months since it had been installed. The children wouldn’t simply play with the pink buoy – something was definitely up!

By this time he was 400m from the beach, and he diverted straight onto the dunes. As Lodewyk reached the beach, he spotted a young local, Ricardo Kettledas, emerging from the waves carrying a teenager, and drove straight towards them.

Lodewyk wasted no time in getting out of the vehicle and assessing the casualty. He was unconscious but breathing on his own, with a regular pulse. While Lodewyk was doing the assessment, he was told that a second teenager had gone under the water. Confident that the first teenager would be okay, he placed him on his side in the recovery position and asked the children to stay with him.

Lodewyk was certain of two things: he needed to find the second teenager in the water fast, and he needed

the back-up of his Sea Rescue crew.

He activated an urgent callout, telling everyone to come to the beach as quickly as possible. While sending out the message, Lodewyk scanned the beach, looking for the rip current.

Discarding his shirt and shoes, he ran into the water.

Ricardo followed Lodewyk back in, taking along the pink rescue buoy, and waited in a slightly shallower area on a sandbank just out of the current. Thanks to good visibility, Lodewyk spotted the child in about 3 metres of water, about 1 metre from the bottom, being pulled out to sea.

Wasting no time, he dived down to retrieve him before swimming him back to the sandbar, where Ricardo was waiting with the buoy.

The child was pale, had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. Using the buoy for support, Lodewyk and Ricardo swam him back to the beach together.

As soon as it was shallow enough, Lodewyk started CPR. The other children ran down to meet them and helped carry the child up onto dry sand. Lodewyk continued with CPR. He tasked some of the kids

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

Being in the right place at the right time made all the difference in the rescue of two youngsters from a deadly rip. That, and a pink buoy. By Cherelle Leong

PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

with bringing the other teenager to where he was so that he could keep an eye on both casualties. He sent another group to his vehicle to retrieve the medical kit and oxygen cylinders, as well as his phone, so he could confirm the call for an ambulance. He knew he’d have to continue with CPR until the paramedics arrived, and because he knew the child had been underwater for some time, he was also aware that his efforts might be in vain. But after about 12 minutes, the teenager coughed up some water. Lodewyk turned him on his side as he felt for a pulse. There it was, faint but steady!

The youngster started to breathe on his own. Dared Lodewyk hope the CPR had been successful? In the meantime Sea Rescue crew started arriving and helped rig up the oxygen cylinders.

Both casualties received a maximum dose of oxygen while they were waiting for the paramedics to arrive.

Both children remained unconscious, but the first child was responsive to stimuli, whereas the second had a pulse and was breathing on his own, although he wasn’t responding to any stimulus. As Lodewyk watched

the ambulance load and take the two children off to hospital, he knew it was now a waiting game. The first child, Carlo stood a good chance of making a full recovery as he’d been pulled from the water quickly by Ricardo, using the pink rescue buoy.

But by Lodewyk’s estimates the second child, Morris, had been under the water for at least 10 to 15 minutes, and it had taken a further 12 minutes of CPR before he regained a pulse.

Despite all the rescue efforts, the medical statistics were against him.

Carlo woke up in hospital that evening around 6pm and, miraculously, Morris woke up the next morning around 11am, fully aware and asking for his mother. Over the next three days, Morris was monitored for after-effects of drowning and sent for tests. No sign of any damage was found at all, and except for having no memory of the events and feeling tired, he was otherwise healthy. His full recovery baffled the doctors,

From left: Tilla Strydom, Smiley Strydom, Ricardo Kettledas, Lodewyk van Rensburg, Morris Dosela, Carlo Kettledas, Alwyn Barbas and Choppie Lindstrom.

because for all intents and purposes he’d been dead for 20 minutes. But three days later, defying all odds, he walked out of the hospital and seven days later he was in his classroom, starting Grade 8 at school.

When Lodewyk reflects on that day, he can only describe it as a miracle.

He wasn’t planning to be in the area and he usually wouldn’t have been driving the Sea Rescue vehicle that contained the medical kit and oxygen cylinders that had been so vital in treating the casualties on the scene.

In addition, it was Ricardo’s bravery going into the surf, despite not being a good swimmer himself, and having the wisdom to take along the pink rescue buoy, thereby catching the eye of the coast watcher who alerted Sea Rescue, that saved two lives that day.

A miracle Monday indeed.

To help us save more lives by supporting our Pink Rescue Buoy initiative, please turn to page 29 for more information.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 13

R E A L-L I F E R E S C U E

O

N TUESDAY MORNING, 7 January 2020, at around 9.30am, the duty coxswain of Station 5 (Durban) received a call from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). A large ship on its way to Brazil was requesting the evacuation of five crew members following an incident on board. At the time of the call, the vessel was more than 150 nautical miles from Durban, far beyond Sea Rescue’s range of operations. It was therefore decided that the ship would divert towards Durban in order to rendezvous with rescue personnel closer to shore.

Station commander Jonathan Kellerman realised he’d have to concentrate all his energies on coordinating the resources necessary for this rescue.

It was estimated that the ship would not be in range for another three to four hours at least, but still there was a great deal to organise.

After placing Durban Sea Rescue duty crew on standby, the first call was to the MRCC to request that they authorise the South African Air Force (SAAF) 15 Squadron to fly an Oryx helicopter. Because the full nature of the patients’ medical state was not yet known, except that three of them were in a serious condition, a helicopter extraction was the first choice.

It would ensure they could get to a hospital much faster and have access to advanced medical care sooner.

Due to the long range of the rescue flight, it would be necessary for the rescue helicopter to be accompanied by a second helicopter to assist in the event of a serious mechanical failure, and because only one Oryx was available at SAAF 15 Squadron, the second helicopter would need to be sourced from elsewhere. To facilitate this, a SAAF Charlie Flight BK-117

MEDEVAC

at sea PHOTOGRAPHS: NSRI STATION 5 (DURBAN)

After being alerted by the MRCC to a medical emergency involving six crewman on a large vessel bound for Brazil, Station 5 (Durban) and an SAAF Oryx helicopter with medical personnel on board were dispatched to carry out a medical evacuation. By Cherelle Leong

14 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

PHOTOGRAPHS: NSRI STATION 5 (DURBAN)

The concerted efforts of rescue personnel from a number of organisations resulted in the safe evacuation of five Brazilian crewmen.

was tasked with joining the operation from its base in Port Elizabeth.

While all the rescue assets were being assembled, MRCC arranged a Western Cape Government Health EMS doctor to provide medical advice to the ship’s medic in order to stabilise the injured crew until the rescue team could get to them. Netcare911 medics were also put on standby to assist with the operation.

By mid-afternoon, when it was confirmed that the BK-117 was en route from Port Elizabeth, Durban launched its 14m ORC deep-sea rescue craft, the Alick Rennie to rendezvous with the ship so that they could be on the scene when the helicopters arrived.

Meanwhile, at SAAF 15 Squadron, Netcare medics Konrad Jones, Gary Paul and Dewalt Schoeman set about preparing the Oryx to serve as an air ambulance. Three stretchers were configured for the more critical patients, and two stretchers with vacuum mattresses were prepared for the other two. IV lines, drips and oxygen bottles were set up for each stretcher so that medical treatment could begin as soon as the patients came on board.

The Oryx was going to be carrying a full load, with all three paramedics accompanying the five casualties, besides the flight crew. The BK-117

would serve as a support helicopter, carrying two NSRI rescue swimmers as well as its flight crew. During communications, it was also established that there was a sixth casualty who had suffered fatal injuries. The BK117 would transport the deceased if required to do so.

It was 17h20 when the two aircraft got off the ground. Fortunately it was a calm day out on the ocean, and the casualty vessel was already approximately 28nm from Durban, and Alick Rennie arrived on the scene just as the Oryx was circling overhead. The necessary paper- work had been completed by the ship’s captain and the five

patients were ready to be evacuated.

The six casualties had ingested a toxic substance but had not notified anyone on board until they started to get really ill. The substance is known to cause severe organ damage and could be fatal, as was the case with the sixth casualty.

The calm conditions ensured a smooth extrication of the casualties to the Oryx and after a brief triage assessment, the patients were quickly secured onto the stretchers that had been rigged inside the Oryx.

As the helicopter lifted off, Konrad and his colleagues were already busy setting up IV lines on the patients to start medical treatment. Between the Port Captain and the ships’ captain it had been decided that the body of the sixth crewman would stay on board and be returned to Brazil.

By the time the helicopter landed and the patients were handed over to the care of a Durban hospital, they had all received the first series of medication that was required. One patient was deemed to be in a critical condition, possibly requiring dialysis, whereas the other four were stable.

We’re pleased to report that, following extensive hospital care, all five patients have made a full recovery, were discharged and have since returned to Brazil.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 15

R E A L-L I F E R E S C U E

N

EAL STEPHENSON STOOD on the beach at Nature’s Valley and looked anxiously out to sea. The waves were monstrous and he could already see a couple of upturned surfskis with heads bobbing next to them in the water.

He dialled the emergency number of the Plettenberg Bay NSRI station.

‘Neal is one of our team, a senior coxswain,’ said Marc Rodgers, Plett NSRI station commander. ‘So when he called, I knew there was real trouble!’

Neal was one of a dozen surfski paddlers who had set out late on the morning of 15 December 2019 to do a route from Plettenberg Bay to Nature’s Valley, a distance of some 18km. The wind was blowing an ideal 20-30 knots southwest.

‘It’s a very good paddle,’ says Carl Behrens, also a member of the group.

‘But conditions aren’t often conducive.

The surf is usually too big at Nature’s, so we don’t go if there’s any swell.

‘We were all safetied up; we were all using PFDs and leashes, and we were running the SafeTrx tracking app,’ Carl says.

Chris Parnell is a lifeguard who was on duty at Nature’s Valley that day. ‘The guys had called me in the morning to ask about the surf,’ he says. ‘At that point, the sea was flat.

But at lunch time the wind suddenly increased and the swell built rapidly.’

The tide had receded too and the surf started to pound. Breakers started to form on a reef offshore.

Now there were two obstacles.

As Neal had paddled in at Nature’s Valley, the surf was much bigger than he’d expected but he had managed to

THE SEA is always IN CHARGE

Plettenberg Bay crew rallied to assist surfskiers at Nature’s Valley after a day out on the water turned into a nightmare. By Robin Mousley

16 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

thread his way through the waves and had made it to the beach, the only one of the 12 to do so without swimming.

Carl had arrived at the backline with the next group. ‘We’d had a great downwind,’ he says. ‘But when we reached the backline at Nature’s, I thought, “Oh, this is proper!’’’

Carl had hesitated, trying to decide what to do. ‘I was a little to the east of Andrew Beveridge and Daniel Meiring,’ he says. ‘Then I saw them get taken out by a wave on the reef.’

‘I saw Dan get back onto his boat,’ he adds ‘So I decided to go for it and paddle to the beach through a rip.

‘It didn’t go so well.’

Halfway to the beach, as he made his way through the wild seas, a wall

TOP: NSRI’s RIB Leonard Smith shuttles the paddlers in through the raging surf.

ABOVE: Packing up after the rescue, the paddlers reflect on the events of the day.

of foam knocked Carl into the water.

A second wave hit as he attempted to remount. This time his leash broke and his surfski bounced away with the wave, leaving him helpless in the strong rip current.

‘I tried everything to get out of the rip,’ he says. ‘Left, right, into the beach. But I got nowhere and eventually decided to swim back out to sea.

Meanwhile Andrew had also lost his surfski. He and Daniel had been hit by the same wave, but Daniel was able to hold onto his ski, had remounted and paddled across to Andrew.

Two other paddlers joined them.

Back on the beach, Neal knew it was time to call his colleagues at the NSRI base. ‘We have two separate scenarios,’ he said. ‘We need help!’

The NSRI launched both their RIBs within minutes of receiving the call: the 5.5m Ray Farnham, followed by the larger 7.3m Leonard Smith.

The boats headed up the coast, bouncing in clouds of spray over the huge swells. Then disaster struck: Ray Farnham accelerated down a wave and smashed into the next swell, stopping dead in the water,

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 17

r e a l-l i f e r e s c u e

18 |

S e a R e s c u e AU T U M N 2 0 2 0

‘We picked Carl up,’ says Marc, ‘and he was able to guide us to the others.’

Moving through the huge swell, the RIB found Daniel, Andrew and two other paddlers who had been waiting on their skis. Knowing that Andrew wouldn’t be able to swim in, Daniel had called the other paddlers to huddle with him. ‘I think that decision saved Andrew’s life,’ Marc said later.

The NSRI crew pulled Andrew out of the water. ‘He was on the verge of really bad hypothermia,’ Marc says.

‘He could hardly talk and couldn’t concentrate.’

Next Marc shuttled the paddlers and their surfskis, guiding the RIB through the rip current to the beach.

‘That was incredible,’ Chris recalls.

‘I’ve never seen anyone handle a boat like that before.’

‘Given Andrew’s state and the fact that the ambulance was still some distance away, we decided to take him back to base,’ says Marc. ‘We got some of his kit off, and one of the

The paddlers pause for a team photo before setting off on the 18km downwind from Plettenberg Bay to Nature’s Valley.

crew sat behind him and one in front of him, hugging him to warm him up.’

The trip back to Plett was a nightmare. ‘What usually takes 20 minutes took us over an hour,’ Marc says.

At the base, after warm drinks and a hot shower, Andrew recovered rapidly. ‘These blokes were unbelievable,’ he says. ‘I’ve always known they were professional, but the compassion was remarkable.’

The rescuers and the rescued celebrated the happy ending at a gathering on 20 January.

Neal Stephenson remarked, ‘It doesn’t matter how well prepared you are; you can have all the safety gear, all the information, and the sea will still teach you a lesson.’

‘Train hard, rescue easy,’ Marc said.

‘It didn’t even cross my mind that we’d done anything special.

‘But I don’t paddle. I prefer something with an engine,’ he laughed.

Photographs: supplied

the force of the impact ripping the pontoon off the nose of the hull.

The side pontoon was ripped open too and the crew had no choice but to turn the craft around and head back to base.

On the beach at Nature’s Valley, Chris was alerted when he saw a bystander running down the beach.

‘There was a paddle washed up on the beach,’ he says, ‘and I could see a swimmer in the rip.’

Chris didn’t hesitate and, equipped with a lifebuoy, dived into the cold 12˚C water. ‘It was quite intimidating!’ he admits.

Neal, through the NSRI Whatsapp group, was coordinating from the beach. ‘Carl was the priority,’ he says.

‘I could see him being repeatedly sucked into the break zone where he was being pummelled.’

By the time Chris reached the backline, the large 7.3m RIB, helmed

by Marc Rodgers, had arrived and plucked him from the water. Parnell was able to guide them to where Carl had been swept 200m up the coast.

The Volvo Penta D8

A perfect fit for performance

The outstanding Volvo Penta D8 combines high performance with low emissions, fuel consumption and noise levels. The D8 offers a very high power-to-weight ratio, designed for planing craft that require fast acceleration and high speeds.

The D8 comes in two strong versions. Inboard, with four power outputs – 450, 510, 550 and 600 hp – and Volvo Penta IPS, featuring new robust controls, developed to work as a totally and seamlessly integrated system, from prop to helm. www.volvopenta.com

Volvo Penta D8

CLUB K I D S CLUB KIDS OUR PINK BUOYS SAVE LIVES Did you know that since we started our Pink Buoy campaign, they have helped to save 57 lives? When people get into trouble in the water, the buoys can be used to help them float until help arrives. Next to each Pink Buoy is the emergency number you should call for help and the location number of the buoy. Have you seen our Pink Buoys in your area?

UR O R E T N E ETITION COMP

AND WIN

If you have spotted our Pink Buoy in your area, take a selfie with the buoy when next you’re out and about. Send us the photo, your name, the town you live in, the emergency number that appears on the board, and the location number and where the buoy is housed. Ask Mom or Dad to help you with your competition entry, and email it to info@searescue.org.za. Competition closes on 15 June 2020.

PRIZE: We have three hampers to give away to the lucky winners. Each hamper will contain a rescue volunteer memory stick, a Pink Buoy keyring and a cap.

20 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

WHAT IS A

P I R

CURRENT?

BE SAFE

A rip current, often just called a ‘rip’, is a strong flow of water returning seaward from near the shore. A rip can flow at half a metre per second or as fast as 2.5 metres per second. Rips can occur at high tide and at low tide, and even in shallow water. To watch our videos, go to nsri.org.za/drowning-prevention/ rip-currents/

AND CONSIDERATE ››› Only swim where there are lifeguards on duty and only swim between the flags. ››› Parents, always accompany small children near or in the shallows. ››› Consider others and the environment, and don’t leave bottles or plastic on the beach. ››› Parents, avoid browsing social media while your children are swimming.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 21

YOUNG HERO

Quick thinking

SAVES A LIFE Reghard Vorster is honoured by Sea Rescue for saving the life of a young girl at a campsite swimming pool. By Andrew Ingram

I

Paramedic Natasha Kriel with Reghard.

22 |

The Bronze Class Gallantry Award was presented to Reghard Vorster for his courageous actions at approximately 17h30 on 27 September 2019, when he found a 10-year-old girl unconscious at the bottom of a 2-metre deep swimming pool.

That afternoon, Reghard, 14, was at the Ou Skip caravan park swimming pool. He was enjoying the last evening of his family’s holiday at the resort, before they would travel back to their home in Middelburg early on Sunday morning. Reghard had seen a young girl playing in the pool and when he left to go to the shallower children’s pool he noticed that she was pulling herself hand over hand along the edge of the deep swimming pool. A few minutes later Reghard returned to the deep pool and saw the girl at the bottom in approximately two metres of water. His first thought was that she was practising holding her breath.

But he quickly realised that this was not the case and that she was in fact drowning.

Reghard had to assess the situation rapidly. He decided there was no time to waste and dived into the pool. Pulling the child to the surface, Reghard

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

Reghard Vorster knew exactly what to do when he saw a girl in trouble in the water.

swam her lifeless body to the closest steel ladder.

He was alone with the young girl and had to devise a way of getting her out of the water without any help. He locked his legs around the ladder and pulled her toward him. Using the leverage of his legs wrapped around the ladder, Reghard managed to pull her over his chest and then pushed her out of the pool. This manoeuvre required complex problem solving and substantial strength.

Reghard then climbed out of the pool himself and started bystander CPR on her as he had been taught at extracurricular Land Service lessons.

At this stage a child who was also camping at Ou Skip arrived, and Reghard sent him to get help.

One of the first adults to arrive on the scene was Dr Heike Gedult, Professor of Emergency Medicine at Tygerberg Hospital, who happened to be at an event nearby. A short while later, Sea Rescue volunteer and paramedic Natasha Kriel arrived to help.

Both professionals say that Reghard’s quick thinking, bravery and selfless actions that day undoubtedly played a major role in saving the girl’s life. As fellow South Africans, we are proud to be able to recognise and honour Reghard’s achievement.

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

N MID-FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, 14-year-old Reghard Vorster was presented with a Sea Rescue Bronze Class Gallantry Award signed by the chairman of the Sea Rescue board. It is extremely rare for such a prestigious award to be presented, and especially to someone so young.

The citation below explains Reghard’s remarkable rescue of a young girl from the bottom of a swimming pool. The fact that he was able to consider the sequence of events and get himself and the lifeless body of the girl safely from the pool is testament to an extremely determined and clear-thinking young man.

TRIBUTE

In December 2019, the community of Strandfontein mourned the passing of one of its beloved sons. Andrew Ingram pays tribute to Clive Cerff, whose legacy will live on in the Strandfontein lifeguard unit.

Vigilance and I

SERVICE

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW INGRAM, SUPPPLIED, GETTY IMAGES.

N EVERY COMMUNITY THERE is a legend and in Strandfontein, about 45km north of Lamberts Bay on the West Coast, that legend was Clive Cerff.

The ocean was Clive’s love and life.

Even his home is built on a cliff overlooking the bay called Die Hel, which formed part of his diamond claim and where he died on 15 December 2019.

The sea was big on the day Clive took his lifeguard board out as he so often did at the end of a lifeguarding duty shift. He launched on the far left of the beach and, using the rip

to get out, he was soon in his happy place riding the huge sets that were pushing through.

When Clive was separated from his board and decided to swim around the point to Die Hel, his fellow lifeguards were not particularly concerned. He was in a wetsuit. And it was Clive in the water – if ever there was an expert waterman, it was him. The swim was a long one in rough seas, but a friend and fellow lifeguard was keeping watch high above, giving Clive directions with hand signals. As Clive was entering his bay, a set came through

and just after giving a thumbs-up he disappeared from view. It was the last time that Clive was seen alive.

A huge search was launched immediately, with Sea Rescue Lamberts Bay responding by road in an effort to help. His body was recovered later and the Strandfontein community was in shock.

The beach at Strandfontein is very beautiful and often used as a holiday venue by local farmers. But it is also dangerous. The rip currents are legendary and require strict control from lifeguards, who must remain extra vigilant to make sure nobody gets into the water beyond the flags.

Lamberts Bay NSRI station commander Avril Mocke and Sea Rescue lifeguard coordinator Stewart Seini met with representatives of the Matzikama Municipality and the Strandfontein community on that sad day and resolved that, in memory of Clive Cerff, lifeguarding would go on.

The next day, on 16 December, a team of Sea Rescue lifeguards kept Strandfontein Beach safe as Clive’s friends were in mourning.

On the wall in the lifeguard tower is Clive’s Surf Proficiency Award, issued on 24 April 1977 by The Surf Lifesaving Association of South Africa. Although the ink is fading on this old certificate, it reminds the lifeguards who now sit duty there of ‘vigilance and service’.

And for those who knew him, Clive’s three rules are always top of mind: expect the unexpected, never give up, and prevention is better than cure.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 23

NEWS

FROM LEFT: Tammy Pasensie, Mollieny Mushayi and Lakin Seconds

SOUTH32 BOOSTS WATERSAFETY EDUCATION IN RICHARDS BAY

Thanks to support from SOUTH32, two new water-safety instructors are now presenting educational workshops to learners in the Richards Bay area. The programme includes peer rescue, dangerous currents, planning for water safety, hands-on CPR and the importance of the Pink Rescue Buoy project.

Phelelani Nene, a marine engineer, is based at the Unizulu Science Centre and all learners who visit the centre will receive a free age-appropriate water safety lesson as part of their visit. Sea Rescue volunteer and sailing instructor Mncedisi Hlalatu will be visiting schools in the greater King Cetshwayo area where there are approximately 40 fatal drownings each year.

According to Unizulu SC director Dr. Derek Fish, Phelelani’s presentations have become an intergral part of the Science Centre.

New water-safety instructors Phelelani Nene and Mncedisi Hlalatu are presenting educational workshops to learners in the Richards Bay area.

24 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

On New Year’s Day this year, Station 16 (Strandfontein) volunteers assisted a woman who gave birth at the base. At about 3pm, Mollieny Mushayi, 27, arrived at the base and reported having contractions.

Fourth-year medical student Lakin Seconds (the daughter of Statcom Vaughn Seconds), and Tammy Pasensie, an ECP (emergency care practitioner) paramedic student, both on standby, sprang into action to assist her.

Forty minutes later Mollieny gave birth to a baby boy.

Lakin says this was her first delivery, and it was an amazing experience to bring a new baby into the world. ‘It was so surreal. I thought we had more time… I went to her, thinking we only had to check vitals and make sure she was okay while we waited for the ambulance.

But I hadn’t anticipated that we would be delivering the baby ourselves.

‘It reminded me that I chose the right the right profession,’ she adds. ‘I couldn’t have asked to start the year a better way.

I am so blessed to have been involved in this little miracle.’

Mom and baby were transported to hospital by Netcare 911.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW INGRAM, SUPPLIED

NEW ARRIVAL

GET INVOLVED WITH POP-UP SURVIVAL SWIMMING:

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW INGRAM, SUPPLIED

We have almost completed the pilot projects for our Sea Rescue Pop-up Survival Swimming courses and are looking for volunteers to run these courses around the country. This is an opportunity for people who would like to volunteer for Sea Rescue in their communities but who want to do so at specific times and do not want to go out in rescue boats.

If you would like to join a Survival Swimming squad and volunteer to teach children how to control their breathing, orientate themselves in water, float and propel themselves to safety in a controlled lesson and environment, please email yaseen@searescue.org.za We will provide the training, manuals, required equipment, command and control structures, and advise you on when and where to teach!

NEWS

SEA RESCUE GUEST SPEAKERS

Sea Rescue has a number of public relations and guest speakers in Cape Town, Strand, Garden Route, Eastern Cape, Durban and Gauteng who represent us at events and give talks at clubs, schools, retirement villages and company events. We also have a club catering for our retired crew and supporters, the Life boat Club, which hosts regular teas and tours, and an annual end-of-year brunch with special guests. If you would like to invite us to join you as a guest speaker at an event or institution or want to arrange a visit to your nearest rescue base, please contact us at info@searescue.org.za or on 021 434 4011.

Guest speaker Theresa Medicine with Jean Wachtel of Highlands House Cape Town. Jean has been a Sea Rescue supporter for 18 years, attending many of our Life boat Club events.

Sea Rescue guest speaker Tanya Meth.

Johan Coetzee, 26, was diagnosed with Williams syndrome, a genetic condition that affects cognitive and physical development, soon after birth.

For Johan, it presented many challenges, including being turned away from formal education at the age of nine after only two weeks in Grade 1. His first contact with Sea Rescue was in February Johan Coetzee visiting the Rescue Base in Hermanus.

2007 at the age of 14 when he visited Station 7 (East London), where he was welcomed by then station commander Geoff McGregor, who ignited Johan’s passion for Sea Rescue. Since that introduction, Johan has visited Station 9 (Gordon’s Bay) and Station 17 (Hermanus), where Deon Langenhoven continued showing him the ropes of rescue work. Being welcomed by the Sea Rescue family has made a huge impact on Johan’s life but, in much the same way, his courage and passion in the face of so many challenges have inspired all the volunteers he has met over the years. Johan has written a book about his life with Williams syndrome.

The Long Journey was published in October 2019.

26 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

Op ‘n Stormsee

R150

Into a Raging Sea

R240

NSRI Pullover in Grey Melange, Navy Blue and Charcoal

R580 each

WHAT’S IN STORE

Pink Rescue Buoy and Sea Rescue Cycle Jerseys

R480

NSRI Hoodie available in Grey Melange and Navy Blue

R700 NSRI Capestorm Cap

R249

USB Sea Rescue Man

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

R180

Pink Rescue Buoy and Sea Rescue Activity Shirts

R330

MONEY BOXES: Shark, Turtle, Octopus and Whale variations

R100 each

Go to shop.searescue.org.za to order online.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 27

RIDING TO RAISE FUNDS

HOME AWAY FROM HOME Some of our Rescue bases are currently being revamped and we are in need of a few items to re-furnish them. In most cases, our volunteers spend a lot of time at the base either training for rescues, on rescue operations or assisting the families of casualties. It’s important to create a comfortable environment to ease the fatigue of our volunteers when they come back from sea after a rescue operation or a tough training exercise, and to provide essentials that are necessary for training sessions. If you would like to assist, please call Natasha on 021 434 4011 or email natasha@searescue.org.za The following is a list of requirements for Station 10 (Simon’s Town), Station 17 (Hermanus), Station 24 (Lamberts Bay), Station 26 (Kommetjie) and Station 40 (St Lucia): ››› Good-quality chairs for the training rooms, about 25 each (Stations 10, 17, 24, 40) ››› Fridges (Stations 17, 24, 40) ››› Microwaves (Stations 17, 24, 40) ››› 2 x tables each for the training rooms (Stations 17, 24, 40) ››› New corner lounge suites with a two-seater and one-seater each (Stations 10, 26) 28 |

››› A small coffee table (Station 10) ››› 4 x bar stools for the kitchen overhang counter (Station 10) ››› A four-seater restaurant/gardenbench-type seating for outside on the balcony (Station 10) ››› 8 to 10 individual training tables for group training (Station 10) ››› 4 x office chairs (Station 10) ››› A small whiteboard and a large whiteboard each for the control rooms and training rooms respectively (Stations 10, 17, 24, 26, 40)

PINK RESCUE BUOYS If you are keen to get involved with Sea Rescue but do not want to go out to sea and you only have a few hours a week to spare, how about volunteering to manage the Pink Rescue Buoys in your area? If this is something you think you can help with, please email andrew@searescue.org.za

So far these emergency flotation devices have saved 56 lives. We need you to join us and take pressure off seagoing volunteers by managing the Pink Buoys in your area.

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

On 12 October 2019, a small group of Harley-Davidson (HD) riders visited Station 5 (Durban) and handed over a donation of R4 800. Informally known as the Wild Hogs, this group of riders used to get together to ride for a few hours every Saturday morning. In 2011 one of their founding members, Brian, passed away, and the following year the group decided to do a ride in memory of him and raise funds for a charity. This evolved into an annual ‘700km in one day’ charity ride, with the riders deciding on a beneficiary beforehand. Funds are raised by asking each member to pay a fee to take part. Anyone who rides a Harley is welcome to join in, as long as they are competent riders as per the HD chapter they belong to.

Over the years, the Wild Hogs have raised funds that have contributed towards wheelchairs, blankets and prostheses for clinics and rural hospitals, and the NSRI has twice been a beneficiary. During their visit, the Wild Hogs enjoyed Station 5’s hospitality and watched the launching of two new vessels at the station. Sea Rescue extends a heartfelt thanks to the Wild Hogs for their donation and support.

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2019

14

HELP US SAVE LIVES

To thank you for your support, you will receive an entry into our Pink Rescue Buoy Lucky Draw, which means you’d stand a chance of winning a R1 500 gift card to spend at any Outdoor Warehouse countrywide. Please visit www.outdoorwarehouse. co.za for store details.

Since its inception in November 2017, NSRI’s Pink Rescue Buoy project has helped to rescue 56 people. We have installed more than 600 pink buoys on strategically placed signposts near bodies of water. Our aim is twofold: firstly, we want them to serve as a reminder that people should always take care when entering the water and not to swim if lifeguards are not on duty; secondly, if there is an incident and someone needs help, a buoy can be thrown to that person, providing emergency flotation. The cost of one Pink Rescue Buoy is R1 500 and we need your help to launch 500 pink buoys in 2020. Your donation could be the deciding factor in saving a life! (Read how a Pink Rescue Buoy saved a life on page 12.)

If you would like to donate, scan the QR code to the right or go to nsri.org.za/funding/donate/

South Africa’s greatest selection of adventure gear

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

hiking • camping • off-road apparel • cooking • storage furniture • tents • watersports fridges and coolers

Visit any one of our 27 stores nationwide For your nearest store call toll-free 0800 007 261 Go to outdoorwarehouse.co.za to learn more and shop online OutdoorW

14716 - 2019 - In-Store Signage Adveture Gear_V1 1

Outdoorwarehouseza

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 00

2020/03/09 14:34

SPONSORS NEWS

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

Q20 – CARING FOR OUR EQUIPMENT AS MUCH AS WE DO

Since 2017, our friends at Q20 have been sponsoring a wide range of products to the value of R196 000 to our NSRI stations nationwide. Since the company started in 1950, Q20 has been used for lubrication, rust prevention, moisture displacement and protection of industrial and household goods. Our boats operate in a corrosive environment, and this valuable sponsorship contributes to the longevity and reliability of our most important on-station assets.

In 2019, the company came up with an awesome fundraising initiative – to donate R1 of the proceeds from the sale of every can of Q20 to Sea Rescue. Q20 believes that South Africa’s proudest moments are achieved when a nation of people pulls together. In early February, we received a cheque of R100 000 from the sale of Q20 products. Look out for Q20 cans with an NSRI sticker and help support this initiative.

Thank you, Q20, for your continued support and your generous contribution towards keeping our assets corrosion-free.

THANK YOU FOR DONATIONS RECEIVED

IN MEMORY OF • Aubrey Richard Harcombe • Richard Mecke • L Snyman • Monty Segal • Philip Heber-Percy IN HONOUR OF • Dr Mark Kadish • Abigail Bisogno • Rob Wyly • Doug Cleland (80th birthday) • Peter Brink (70th birthday) • Mrs Robinson (90th birthday) • David-Phillip Dirks • RL Wicks • Anton Joubert • Melvin Rautenbach (birthday) • Johnny Symmonds (60th birthday) • Mr Scalabrino (80th birthday) • Inge Meyer (birthday) • Richard Shaw (birthday) ASHES LOG • Station 10 (Simon’s Town): Denis Zimmerman, Megan Zimmerman, Francis Dawid Finney, Ann Finney, Renee Lesch • Station 17 (Hermanus): Crizane de Meillon

30 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

P L AT I N U M PA R T N E R S

SAILING FOR SEA RESCUE

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

It all began on the Vaal Dam in July 2017 when Hubert Saayman decided he wanted to participate in the Cape to Rio Yacht Race 2020.

He selected a crew who all agreed to join him without hesitation. They would sail on Indulgence, a Stadt 34, that had been a Vaal Dam boat all of her life. The crew then decided to to use their participation in the yacht race to raise funds for Station 22 (Vaal Dam).

The Cape to Rio is the longest single transcontinental yacht race in

the world and attracts club and professional sailors alike. Indulgence set sail from Cape Town on 4 January 2020 and shared their story along the way. It was a bucket-list race for the crew, who with 125nm decided to retire from the race and motor into Rio. To Hubert, Andre, Wynand and Marcel, our heartfelt thanks for taking us on this trip of a lifetime and for the Pink Rescue Buoys you personally funded for the Vaal Dam area.

Join us at the Jive Funny Festival at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town on 15 and 16 June 2020.

Sea Rescue is hosting two evenings as a special fundraising event, with tickets at R120 per person. For more information and to book, go to www.nsri.org.za/2020/02/the-jive-cape-townfunny-festival-2020/

S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R S

GOLD PA R T N E R S A&M Logistics / AMSOL / Cargill SA (Pty) Ltd / Damen Shipyards Cape Town (Pty) Ltd / Freddy Hirsch Group / Hoegh Autoliners (Pty) Ltd /

THANKS TO MERPAK

We were very grateful to our friends at Merpak for their donation of envelopes for our Summer 2019 issue. We were delighted when they extended their generosity by donating the envelopes for all three issues we are posting this year.

Imperial Group t/a Alert Engine Parts / JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd / Kelp Products (Pty) Ltd / Kiddie Rides (Pty) Ltd / Komicx Products (Pty) Ltd / Macs Maritime Carrier Shipping (Pty) Ltd / Mix Telematics International (Pty) Ltd / NCS Resins / Press Spinning & Stamping Co / Rapid Deploy (Pty) Ltd / RF Design / Richard Bay Coal

This means no more single-use plastic when you

Terminal / Ruwekus Fishing (Pty) Ltd

receive your magazine, and we are able to use the

/ Sea Harvest Corporation (Pty) Ltd /

funds saved for vital rescue work. Thank you!

Striker Fishing Enterprises (Pty) Ltd

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 31

NSRI trainers Herby Meth and Enrico Menezies, and Captain Pieter Swart of GBOBA BF with Lawhill Maritime Centre students at Station 26 (Kommetjie).

For the past few years Sea Rescue has been involved in the practical training of students from Lawhill Maritime Centre.

Michaela Nagel shares more about the programme.

T

HE HALLWAYS AND classrooms at Lawhill Maritime Centre (LMC) are filled with aspiring ship’s captains and engineers and maritime innovators. Lawhill, based at Simon’s Town School in Cape Town, provides focused maritime education and skills to students aged 15 to 18 (Grades 10 to 12). The aim of the programme is to prepare students for tertiary education as well as careers in the maritime industry. The centre is not dependent on government funding and some students are supported with bursaries from the SATS General Botha Old Boys Association Bursary Fund (GBOBA BF).

JOINING HANDS TO TRAIN AND MENTOR YOUNG ADULTS For the past two years, the NSRI has been working together with the bursary fund students, hosting them at rescue bases and offering a practical training programme that is sponsored by the South African

32 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

International Maritime Institute (SAIMI). In addition, NSRI and GBOBA have used their collective knowledge and material to encourage the mentoring of the youth of South Africa, and especially those interested in maritime careers. Chairman of GBOBA and NSRI honorary life governor Captain Keith Burchell explains: ‘This is of strategic significance as it enables us to meet our goal of providing an extramural mentoring and educational and training programme, which supports that of our bursary students’ studies at the Lawhill Maritime Centre, and in turn is in line with preparing them for tertiary education and satisfies the requirements of SAIMI’s Sea Cadet programme.’

Every year, 10 Lawhill students are given the opportunity to attend a camp hosted by Sea Rescue to complete a course based on our online Bravo Bravo training.

In 2019, 10 LMC and Sea Cadet students attended the annual NSRI

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

FUTURE FIT

COLL ABORATIONS

introductory camp at Station 26 (Kommetjie). Two students completed the course for a second time in order to prepare for the advanced NSRI camp happening early in 2020.

Although these students are still young, their aspirations know no limits. Nerisa Suckram, 17, fell in love with the maritime industry when she moved from Harding, KZN, to Cape Town. Her dream is to become a master on a tanker vessel. Ngabelwe Nikwe, who is in Grade 12, wants to focus on maritime innovation one day.

The four-day camp, presented by trainers Enrico Menezies and Herby Meth, consisted of an induction, a general safety course and pre-sea training, which includes water tread, survival techniques and a shortdistance swim.

‘We need to future-proof the NSRI and in the context of diversity of crew, this will be a long-term

investment in the youth. If we stimulate growth in the maritime sector, it will hopefully fuel an interest in the NSRI. The pool of people whom we will help educate over a period of time will become operational and infuse the organisation with a diverse range of young South Africans with passion and

commitment, says NSRI CEO, Dr Cleeve Robertson. ‘There is no skills training platform for the youth in this sector other than a bunch of smaller external organisations that are providing some access to the maritime industry but, on a national footprint, access to skills and development is limited.’

Right: Lawhill students receiving instruction from Kommetjie crewman Ian Wells.

Below: Getting ready to practise ‘the huddle’ with Herby Meth.

OWAMI ZUMA’S LETTER OF THANKS TO CAPTAIN KEITH BURCHELL I write this letter to thank you for sponsoring the students. Thank you for investing your money in us for the past two years. Yours is an amazing bursary fund. Being at Lawhill is a privilege, and you have made that possible for me.

We have been lucky to attend camps and do a lot of educational activities. It means a lot to us and it is grooming us for the real world.

You have taken your time with your students and shown that you care deeply about us and our futures. Thanks for investing in us.

Yours faithfully OWAMI ZUMA 20 November 2019 SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 33

THE

Robin Mousley recounts the rescue of surfskier Casper Kruger and how, as a result, the surfski fraternity has lent their support to the NSRI.

C

ASPER KRUGER WATCHED AGHAST as the safety boat motored past, a mere 20m or so away. He yelled as loudly as he could, but amidst the noise of the wind, the breaking waves and their own motor, they just couldn’t hear him. The boat chugged further and further away, finally disappearing into the distance.

It was December 2006 and an unseasonal cold front had swept into Cape Town, a howling northwesterly whipping up lines of breaking waves in False Bay. A surfski race had been scheduled for late that morning, but event organiser Billy Harker had taken the unpopular decision to cancel.

‘I had paddled that stretch in a previous race in similar conditions,’ he said.

‘But this was even worse – there was mist on the water, limiting visibility.”

In the shelter of Monwabisi Beach, though, the sea didn’t seem particularly threatening and Harker’s warnings were shouted down. The race might be cancelled, but the paddlers were determined to go anyway.

34 |

SEA RESCUE SUMMER 2019

Herbert Conradie, a local paddler, had arranged for safety boats to follow the surfskis. And, knowing who was on the water from the list of race entries, Harker went to the finish to check them off the water.

Twenty minutes later, conditions changed abruptly. The wind was swinging even more to the north and increasing to near gale force. Now blowing directly offshore, the wind and waves were side-on, and the paddlers found themselves fighting to avoid being blown out to sea.

That was when Casper, paddling an unfamiliar new surfski, fell off his craft. He clambered back on but was knocked off again. He tried once more, slower this time, and briefly sat upright – but as he reached for his paddle, he fell off yet again. After several more attempts, he realised he was too cold and too weak to go on. At that moment he saw the safety boat go past without seeing him.

Meanwhile, at the finish, Harker was concerned by the deteriorating sea conditions and had already contacted

the Gordon’s Bay NSRI crew to warn them that they might be needed.

So when Casper failed to arrive at the finish, the search operation swung into gear quickly. Crews from Gordon’s Bay, Strandfontein and Simon’s Town were launched and the Metro Red Cross AMS and Vodacom Netcare 911 helicopters were scrambled.

But the missing paddler’s surfski was impossible to spot amid the maelstrom of breaking waves – the searchers simply could not see him.

Ironically, he could see them. ‘They were so close, I could see the faces of the pilots,’ he said. ‘The sun came out several times and I wished I had a mirror or something I could signal with.’

By now Casper had drifted further out into the bay, where the waves had grown much larger. ‘About every seventh wave, I could hear one coming,’ he said, ‘and it would break right over me.’ Being tumbled by these breakers was terrifying.

He knew that his only hope was to stay with the surfski but, unable to feel his hands, he wasn’t sure he

PHOTOGRAPHS: TREVOR STEENKAMP, SUPPLIED

RESCUE that launched a fleet

FUNDRAISING could hang onto it. He thrust his arms through the foot straps and attempted to tie himself to the ski using his paddle leash. ‘I couldn’t tie a knot,’ he explained, ‘but I sort of wrapped the leash in a tangle.’

By 17h30, the rescuers were beginning to give up hope and the two civilian helicopters had returned to base to refuel. In response to an NSRI request for help, the South African Air Force launched an Oryx helicopter.

When the wind suddenly died and swung to the south, the waves calmed almost magically and on the third leg of their search pattern, the aircrew spotted the surfski with the semiconscious Casper draped over it.

Moments later they deployed a rescue

basket and winched the exhausted casualty into the helicopter, where he began to shake uncontrollably.

‘We see a lot of hypothermia cases,’ one of the crew said later, ‘and I estimate that he had 15, maybe 20 minutes left. It was really that close.’

Back on the beach, a crowd of subdued but relieved paddlers set off home.

‘The NSRI had supported surfski events for years,’ said Harker, ‘but this rescue in particular got me thinking about how we as a community could give back to the organisation in a really meaningful way.’

The answer was quite simple: a special project was created for surfski paddlers to sign up to and Harker handed his national paddler database to the NSRI fundraisers.

By 2010, the surfski fund had raised enough money to pay for the first 5.5m RIB, Spirit of Surfski, which was presented to NSRI Gordon’s Bay (Station 9).

Four more RIBs paid for by the fund are based at Simon’s Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Mykonos respectively. The 10.6m Mykonos boat is the largest RIB in NSRI’s fleet.

And in November 2019, the NSRI Durban base was the scene of a blessing ceremony for the sixth Spirit of Surfski, a fully equipped 8.8m RIB. ‘We’ve raised R6.7 million for the NSRI so far,’ says Harker, ‘and my hope is that we [the surfski community] will become the biggest supporters of the NSRI in history.’

PHOTOGRAPHS: TREVOR STEENKAMP, SUPPLIED

Left and above: Casper Kruger’s rescue sparked the idea for the surfskiing community to raise funds for Sea Rescue. Right: Volunteer crew getting ready to take Spirit of Surfski 6 out for a demonstration. Below (from left): Tracy, Ann and Billy Harker.

If you would like to support this initiative, please call Lianne at the NSRI Call Centre on 021 430 4701 or send her an email at monthlydraw@ searescue.org.za. Please let Lianne know that you would like to support the surfski initiative. You could win one of five R10 000 prizes each month as well as R100 000 in our annual December draw.

For R50 per month, you will get two tickets giving you 10 entries each month and two entries into the R100 000 December draw.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 35

NEW TECH

///prototype.animals.rafting

GEORGE, WESTERN CAPE

LOCATION MATTERS: how NSRI uses what3words O

NE OF THE CARDINAL considerations in performing a rescue, especially in the ocean, is location. Without location information and an effective means of communicating location, effective rescue cannot take place.

Traditionally the maritime language of location communication has been numeric, with a long string of coordinate numbers separated by various notations. To give a coordinate location with a resolution of about two metres entails the use of 23 characters: For example, the location of our rescue base at Wilderness is: 33° 55,735’ S 022° 34,965’ E. Trying to communicate the above coordinate over a crackly radio or with a broken cellphone signal obviously takes time at best and 36 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

at worst could lead to the wrong location being received. Similarly, the process of inputting 23 characters into a GPS device or cellphone on a moving vessel or in a vehicle on a bumpy road can be fraught with error.

Lastly, a major problem lies in the fact that the coordinate used above is only one of three very similar coordinate ‘notations’. The example is in the main notation that NSRI uses: ‘degree, decimal minute’. At school, we were all taught the ‘degrees, minutes, seconds’ notation, whereas on Google Maps and other digital devices, ‘decimal degrees’ is becoming a new, frequently used standard. As rescuers, we often first need to determine which notation is being used by the person giving their location, and then mathematically convert it to our

standard before we can use it, which takes even more time and opens up more possibility of error.

Enter an organisation called what3words (W3W). Having recognised the above challenges, which are not unique to NSRI, W3W developed an algorithm that simply and effectively divides the entire world into 3m x 3m squares that are each given a unique three-word ‘address’. Using W3W, the location of the front door of Wilderness NSRI base – jesters. sidestep.stingray – is much simpler and far easier to communicate and to enter on a smartphone.

Without going into the full detail of the system, it is set up in such a way that words that are phonetically similar, or where there is a risk of the word order being swapped, are

PHOTOGRAPHS: DR BEREND MAARSINGH, SUPPLIED

NSRI Operations Manager Brett Ayres tells us more about W3W, an algorithm that divides the world into 3m x 3m squares that are each given a unique three-word ‘address’. The implications for search and rescue at sea and on land are incredible.

///sergeants.originality.inkling

PHOTOGRAPHS: DR BEREND MAARSINGH, SUPPLIED

assigned to places very far from each other. So potentially confused words would relate to locations in, say, South Africa, China and South America. It is generally easy to know roughly which part of the world a person is referring to, so that is not a major problem.

Generally, words that are more complicated are used for remote parts of the world, while developed places such as cities, have words that are shorter and simpler. Lastly, W3W is multilingual and available to use in Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa and English (as well as more than 30 other well-known global languages).

The W3W website (what3words. com) is free to use, and the app, which is available at both the Apple and Google Play stores, can be downloaded and used free of charge.

It functions seamlessly with other native applications on your device, such as Google Maps or Uber. This enables you to use your phone to navigate to a given W3W address and saves you the hassle and error margin of long number coordinate strings. Furthermore, W3W is voice enabled and designed for use with speech recognition devices, which is becoming more and more prevalent as technology progresses.

NSRI uses W3W in many ways.

Our Pink Rescue Buoy project makes use of W3W location information for its precise locating and administration.

NSRI also makes use of the W3W website, so if any member of the public calls in and describes their location using W3W, we use the app to determine where it is and to communicate such to the NSRI rescue stations.

Some of the NSRI Coastwatchers also utilise W3W, using the app on their cellphones to communicate their precise location, which can be plotted on a programme or chart and from which the bearing of the target that they are observing can be drawn, enabling us to establish a fix on a target.

Lastly, the most exciting use for NSRI of W3W comes into play when a person in distress occasionally calls in an emergency via their phone, but is unable to determine their own position. Over the years, this has resulted in numerous situations where rescuers are simply unable to start an effective search, because the potential search area is either unknown or so large that the chances of finding that person are virtually impossible.

This includes people lost in thick fog

GEORGE, WESTERN CAPE

off the West Coast, people on vessels whose electronics are not functioning and tourists lost in coastal forests, for instance.

In these situations, the NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) can SMS a unique URL to a lost person in distress, with an instruction to click on that link so that they can find the casualty’s location. The casualty, provided they have GPS and internet connectivity on their phone, then does so, enabling the phone to display its current location as a three-word address (this works even without having the app). Now the casualty can relay those three words to the operator over the phone. The operator can then input those words in the system, which locates the person to a unique 3m x 3m square, precisely locating them even in the thickest of fog.

Even better: if a person already has the W3W app on their phone they won’t even need internet connectivity on their device to relay the threeword address.

The app works completely offline once downloaded, making it an excellent choice for a day out in the bush, at the beach or on the water with your loved ones.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 37

Naturalist Georgina Jones takes us on a fascinating journey into the secret life of seahorses. We discover an unconventional sea family indeed.

I

F ASKED TO DRAW a fish, most people would come up with a sleek, streamlined shape with a pointed nose and a split tail.

Not an animal that could have been made up of a menagerie of other animals, which is what seahorses resemble. Seahorses have heads like horses – if horses wore crowns.

Their eyes, like those of a chameleon, focus independently. Their laughably miniature fins are more like insect wings than anything else. They lack scales, having skin stretched over a boxlike armour plating, their bellies are cartoonishly round, and their tails 38 |

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

are snaky and prehensile. Seahorses are clearly not evolved for high-speed chases. But they are most certainly fish, even though many evolutionary steps were probably involved in their digression from the standard fish shape and lifestyle.

Seahorses, pygmy seahorses, pipefishes and ghost pipefishes are members of an unusual fish family, the Syngnathidae. Pipefishes look like straight, skinny seahorses. Ghost pipefishes are well camouflaged to resemble seaweed or the sea fans they prefer, whereas pygmy seahorses are so tiny and so well

camouflaged that their existence was only discovered through a chance collection of the sea fans on which they live.

They use their snouts to hoover up small crustaceans: by creating a vacuum along the length of their snouts, they pull small animals towards their waiting mouths. Some of the larger pipefishes also prey on other small fishes. The seahorse family has developed into becoming less fleet of fin and more stealthy.

Their silly-looking fins are adapted for precision hovering. They also rely on camouflage for ambush hunting and

PHOTOGRAPHS: GEORGINA JONES

COLOURFUL little characters

BELOW THE SURFACE

PHOTOGRAPHS: GEORGINA JONES

Left to right: When not lekking, pipefish tend to be retiring, gliding secretively through reefs and sea meadows; a seahorse looking as unfishlike as it’s possible to look, using its tail to cling onto a sea pen; pygmy seahorses are tiny and extremely well camouflaged; enigmatic ghost pipefishes overturn the seahorse family rules, the females brooding their eggs in a makeshift pouch formed by their large pectoral fins.

for escaping predators. Pygmy seahorses have the added bonus of their size: these are among the smallest known vertebrates, with the largest of them being slightly over 2cm in total length.

Yet it’s not only their shape and habits that make them different from most of the rest of the fishes. Their reproductive strategies are highly varied.

Male seahorses have an external brood pouch on their bellies into which the female inserts her ovipositor to deposit her unfertilised eggs. As the male releases sperm into the pouch to fertilise the eggs, their protective outer capsule dissolves to be replaced by a tissue produced by the male.

In the course of the pregnancy, the male’s pouch supplies the developing eggs with both oxygen and nutrients, and controls the salt content of the fluids in the pouch so that, once the developed babies are ready to hatch, their pouch environment is as salty as the surrounding water.

During the male’s pregnancy, the female visits every morning and the two twine together and perform a courtship dance. This is rather less romantic than it sounds. Because seahorses don’t care for their babies once they’re born, their survival rate is very low. Consequently, seahorses must produce many babies

to ensure that at least some survive to adulthood. This means that, as soon as the female has deposited her first clutch of eggs into the male’s pouch, she must start producing the next clutch of eggs. Her daily dance with the male allows her to determine how close to birthing the babies are.

And the timing is critical because at egg transfer, the eggs may make up 30% of the female’s total weight, and she has only a few hours to transfer them or be forced to dump them.

The story in pygmy seahorses could well be rather different, even though these two groups are considered very closely related. Some researchers suspect that in the pygmies, the female may be the egg brooder. This is possibly because of pygmy seahorses’ extremely tiny size. As it is, the embryos found so far have been in very small numbers, typically less than a dozen per brood.

In the case of pipefishes, brooding takes place either in the tail or the trunk, and always by the male.

Some species have external brood pouches, with seahorsestyle authentic male pregnancies, whereas others simply paste the fertilised eggs onto their bodies to develop. These species tend to be the fastest-moving of the pipefishes, presumably to keep the developing eggs safe from predators.

Some species of pouch-brooding pipefishes demonstrate lekking, a courtship behaviour also found in birds. But unlike birds, it is the female pipefishes who display and the males who choose which female’s eggs they will accept. It is thought that this male choosiness has led to female pipefishes developing secondary sexual characteristics like larger size and brighter coloration.

The ghost pipefishes, despite their striking resemblance to pipefishes, overturn all this behaviour. In this group, the female is usually considerably larger than the male, and even though both species have relatively large pelvic fins, when breeding, the females hold their much larger pelvic fins together to make a pouch in which the fertilised eggs are brooded.

As the eggs develop, they will periodically open the fin pouch to oxygenate the developing eggs.

This is clearly a fish family that makes its own rules.

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

| 39

STATION DIRECTORY

The NSRI is manned by more than 1 200 volunteers at 43 bases around the country, including five inland dams. Our volunteers have day jobs but will always respond to your emergency.

STN 2 StatCom:

STN 3 StatCom:

STN 4 StatCom:

STN 5 StatCom:

STN 6 StatCom:

STN 7 StatCom:

STN 8 StatCom:

STN 9 StatCom:

STN 10 StatCom:

STN 11 StatCom:

STN 12 StatCom:

STN 14 StatCom:

STN 15 StatCom:

STN 16 StatCom:

STN 17 StatCom:

STN 18 StatCom:

40 |

BAKOVEN Luke van Riet ✆ 082 990 5962 TABLE BAY Marc de Vos ✆ 082 990 5963 MYKONOS Michael Shaw

✆ 082 990 5966 DURBAN Jonathan Kellerman ✆ 082 990 5948 PORT ELIZABETH Justin Erasmus ✆ 082 990 0828 EAST LONDON Ian Reid ✆ 082 990 5972 HOUT BAY Geoff Stephens ✆ 082 990 5964 GORDON’S BAY Alan Meiklejohn ✆ 072 448 8482 SIMON’S TOWN Darren Zimmermann ✆ 082 990 5965 PORT ALFRED Stephen Slade ✆ 082 990 5971 KNYSNA Jerome Simonis ✆ 082 990 5956 PLETTENBERG BAY Marc Rodgers ✆ 082 990 5975 MOSSEL BAY André Fraser ✆ 082 990 5954 STRANDFONTEIN Vaughn Seconds

✆ 082 990 6753 HERMANUS Deon Langenhoven ✆ 082 990 5967 MELKBOSSTRAND Peter O’Hanlon ✆ 082 990 5958

SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020

STN 19 StatCom:

STN 20 StatCom:

STN 21 StatCom:

STN 22 StatCom:

STN 23 StatCom:

STN 24 StatCom:

STN 25 StatCom:

STN 26 StatCom:

STN 27 StatCom:

STN 28A StatCom:

STN 29 StatCom:

STN 30 StatCom:

STN 31 StatCom:

STN 32 StatCom:

STN 33 StatCom:

STN 34 StatCom:

RICHARDS BAY Bernard Minnie

✆ 082 990 5949 SHELLY BEACH Jeremiah Jackson ✆ 082 990 5950 ST FRANCIS BAY Sara Smith ✆ 082 990 5969 VAAL DAM Jake Manten ✆ 083 626 5128 WILDERNESS Garth Dominy ✆ 082 990 5955 LAMBERT’S BAY Avril Mocke ✆ 060 960 3027 HARTBEESPOORT DAM Arthur Crewe ✆ 082 990 5961 KOMMETJIE Ian Klopper ✆ 082 990 5979 GAUTENG Gerhard Potgieter ✆ 060 991 9301 PORT ST JOHNS John Costello ✆ 082 550 5430 AIR-SEA RESCUE Marius Hayes ✆ 082 990 5980 AGULHAS Reinard Geldenhuys ✆ 082 990 5952 STILL BAY George Sabbagha ✆ 082 990 5978 PORT EDWARD Gerrit du Plessis ✆ 082 990 5951 WITSAND Thys Carstens ✆ 082 990 5957 YZERFONTEIN Willem Lubbe

✆ 082 990 5974

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 | 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 | Training-room chairs.

YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A 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.

For deposits and EFTs: ABSA Heerengracht 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.

STN 35 StatCom:

STN 36 StatCom:

STN 37 StatCom:

STN 38 StatCom:

STN 39 StatCom:

STN 40 StatCom:

STN 41 StatCom:

STN 42 StatCom:

STN 43 StatCom:

WITBANK DAM Travis Clack

✆ 060 962 2620 OYSTER BAY Lodewyk van Rensburg ✆ 082 990 5968 JEFFREYS BAY Michael van den Berg ✆ 079 916 0390 THEEWATERSKLOOF Shane Wiscombe ✆ 072 446 6344 ROCKY BAY Kevin Fourie ✆ 072 652 5158 ST LUCIA Jan Hofman ✆ 063 699 2722 BALLITO Quentin Power ✆ 060 305 4803 KLEINMOND Schalk Boonzaaier ✆ 063 699 2765 PORT NOLLOTH Hugo Foot ✆ 063 698 8971

Y

WSD-F21HR R9,999

Meeting users’ toughest outdoor needs.

Military Standard Compliance

Raise your performance.

Heart Rate Measurement Functionality and Heart Rate Zone Display

THE PAVILION • LA LUCIA MALL • MUSGRAVE CENTRE GATEWAY • WATERCREST MALL • BALLITO JUNCTION www.watchesunlimited.co.za

Determine your current location.

Check your route.

GPS and Color Map Display

Bloemfontein: 051 400 5500 Port Elizabeth: 041 394 2900 Kloppers Sport Brackenfell: 021 982 1899 Knysna: 044 302 7800 George: 044 802 3900

Phone us on 011 314 8888, 0861 CASIO1 or 0861 318 888 for your nearest dealer. www.jamesralph.com.

SPECIFICATIONS AND PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

©Mapbox ©OpenStreetMap

New World Menlyn 012 368 1633 Cajees Clearwater Mall of The South