Two separate sea rescue operations off the Western Cape coast ended safely on Saturday, 24 October, after a commercial sunset cruise vessel began taking on water near Green Point and a father and his young son became stranded on rocks at Ganzekraal, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Originally published via Cape {town} Etc
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) responded to both incidents, bringing all 37 people aboard the charter vessel and the stranded father and son to safety, according to its report on the Green Point rescue and statement on the Ganzekraal operation.
At 18:59, NSRI Table Bay was alerted after a commercial charter vessel reported taking on water offshore of Green Point. There were 37 people aboard, including seven crew members.
Rescue craft from NSRI Table Bay and its Volunteer Support Centre training department responded, while NSRI Melkbosstrand was placed on alert. At least six other charter boats stood by to assist and Transnet National Ports Authority port control placed tug vessels on alert.
The vessel was still operating under its own power when rescuers arrived. NSRI crews escorted it to its moorings at the V&A Waterfront marina, where everyone disembarked safely without injury.
Rescuers then used two pumps to remove water from the engine room and stopped the water ingress. The operation ended at 20:00.
Father and son stranded by rising tide
Earlier that afternoon, NSRI Yzerfontein responded after a 50-year-old father and his nine-year-old son from Cape Town became stranded while fishing on offshore rocks at Ganzekraal.
The pair had accessed the rocks during the spring low tide, but the rising water cut off their route back to shore. The NSRI said they had been ‘cut off from mainland by the Spring high tide’.
A family member contacted the NSRI’s Emergency Operations Centre at 14:30. Rescuers launched a craft towing a JetRIB and sent a rescue swimmer to assist.
The swimmer helped the father aboard with their fishing gear before returning to collect the boy. Both the son and the swimmer were brought safely ashore, and neither required further assistance. The rescue craft was recovered at 16:00, with the operation concluding at 17:00.
Originally published via Cape {town} Etc
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