PLETTENBERG BAY - Flares observed by residents over the Keurbooms lagoon on Tuesday night were part of a sea rescue operation after a boat was swept out through the Keurbooms River mouth.
Plettenberg Bay National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) duty coxswain Marc Rodgers said they activated their crew just before 21:30 following reports of a boat drifting through the river mouth.
“It appears that the group (two men, two women and three children) were having a braai on their boat on the Keurbooms River when, preparing to depart, they were caught in the rapidly outgoing tide at the turn of the peak of spring tide, that began to sweep the boat out to sea,” Rodgers said.
He said the skipper might have attempted to power the boat out of danger, but the boat’s anchor was still deployed, causing the boat to swirl in the strong currents.
“The skipper, a local man, ordered the crew to abandon the vessel and wade and swim to shore, which they managed to do.”
The boat's propeller appeared to have then been caught in the anchor line and the boat was swept out to sea rapidly. “Fortunately she came to rest on the shallow semi-submerged sandbank 300m off-shore and about 10m from the wave line.”
Rodgers said the duty crew launched their rescue craft Free Runner and Ray Farnham Rescuer. “On arrival at the scene, we found a river boat stranded on a shallow semi-submerged sandbank. The skipper was safely on the sandbank attempting to pull his boat towards the shore.” The rest of the crew were found unharmed on the shore.
“We beached our sea rescue craft on the shallow semi-submerged sandbank and our NSRI rescue swimmers assisted the skipper to begin hauling the river boat towards the beach.”
The crew also responded with their rescue vehicle and side-by-side rescue vehicle. “The owner’s boat trailer was collected and brought to the beach. A private NSRI crew member’s 4x4 vehicle was used to attach a towline to the casualty craft, which was towed, and hauled by NSRI rescue swimmers to shore.”
Illuminating flares were launched to guide responders during the operation.
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