Sea Rescue – NSRI rescues divers from sinking craft

The National Sea Rescue Institute in Port Elizabeth has been involved in the rescue of nine men in a sinking rubber inflatable off Cape Recife. Ian Gray, NSRI station commander takes up the report: “At 20h28 NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following a request for urgent assistance from a 7 metre rigid inflatable rubber duck, with 9 local men on-board, reporting to be taking water 4.5 nautical miles West of Cape Recife, 1 Nautical Mile off-shore, (12 Nautical Miles from our NSRI rescue base), in 3 to 5 metre swells.

“Our NSRI duty crew launched our 5.5 metre rigid inflatable rescue craft Eikos Rescuer I, with our NSRI duty coxswain and three NSRI duty crew on-board, and on arrival in the search area white illuminating flares were used to find the casualty craft whose skipper had reported having no battery power to his craft and only one torch to use as a signalling means. “Following a brief search the casualty craft was found semi-submerged and all 9 men, 8 of whom were wearing wet-suits, were transferred on-board our rescue craft and were brought safely to our rescue base where they required no further assistance. “Daniel Heimann, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty coxswain, said that according to the  skipper of the casualty craft his boat had become heavy laden with water from unknown means and as the craft got lower in the water she started to take water over the bow causing battery and motor failure and causing the boat to begin sinking, forcing the men to call a distress. “Daniel said that after the men were taken on-board the NSRI rescue craft, the semi-submerged inflatable was left at anchor, with all gear on-board including dive cylinders and breathing apparatus sets. However, a Police helicopter that later searched for in the vicinity of where the boat was left, found no sign of the semi-submerged casualty craft and its fate is unknown. “The NSRI‟s mission is to save lives at sea and under the circumstances the casualty craft and her gear could not be brought back to shore with her crew. “The casualty craft‟s owner will attempt to find the semi-submerged boat at day break.”