"Your station and your colleagues of Station 12, Knysna, who also assisted in this operation, exhibited the very best characteristics that have made the NSRI the highly respected search and rescue organisation that it is today," said Peter Bacon, chairman of the NSRI board of directors.
During a short address to the crew members, Bacon thanked all who were able to respond to the call-out to the Plettenberg Bay base to offer their services.
He explained: "Thick fog shrouded the area, making an immediate sea search impractical, so parties made up from all local organisations were dispatched to comb the Robberg and its surrounding shoreline," and continued that it was "a very arduous task that went on through the night. Next morning the station's three rescue boats, Rescue 14, the 7.3m RIB Ian Hepburn, Rescue 14A, the 5.05m RIB Sally Joan, and Rescue 14B, the 4.2m inflatable surf boat Spirit of Airlink, launched at first light at 05:30 and proceeded around the Robberg peninsula to where it had been established that the aircraft had come down."
The NSRI crews had the very difficult task of searching for survivors of the accident and recovering the bodies of those who had perished.
"This assignment was done meticulously and with reverence," said Bacon.
Not only were the crews to look for survivors, but were also tasked to recover wreckage of the aircraft. Station 14's three rescue boats were at sea for a total of 11.5 hours engaged in this distressing undertaking.
Although it was a normal working day, all crew able to presented themselves to offer their services in the rescue operation. The station's rescue vehicle was continuously employed and a rescue swimmer was deployed to crew a helicopter engaged in the search.
In the days that followed, Station 14 personnel assisted in many ways in the clearing up required after such a tragic event.
"It was a remarkable demonstration of the excellent spirit that imbues the station," said Bacon.
"Thank you all for your wholehearted response to the Pilatus aircraft crash on February 8," Bacon concluded.
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During a recent award ceremony, both Knysna and Plettenberg Bay NSRI volunteers were applauded for their services rendered during the search for survivors of the Pilatus PC 12 aircraft crash off Robberg. Mike Elliot, NSRI director for the Southern Cape, presented Meritorious Service Awards to Ray Farnham, Plettenberg Bay NSRI station commander, and Graeme Harding Knysna NSRI station commander. (Photo: Andrew Aveley.)
