KNYSNA NEWS - Volunteers from the NSRI Knysna Station 12 last week retrieved a double kayak after a group of four people lost it in the water near the Knysna Heads.
According to Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, their duty crew were activated at 15:12 on Monday 25 April following eye-witness reports of kayakers appearing to be in difficulty near the Heads.
The sea rescue craft Katharine and Eileen Medway were launched.
"On arrival on the scene we found two adult males, an adult female and a female teenager safely ashore between Blackpoint and Greenpoint," Simonis stated.
"A double kayak was missing. Our sea rescue craft located and recovered the double kayak outside of the Heads."
The four kayakers, from Zimbabwe, were not injured and were brought back to the NSRI rescue base safely. "They had launched at Thesen Island in an outgoing tide and it appears that they paddled towards the Knysna Heads but in the outgoing tide they may have misjudged the currents."
Simonis said the two females paddled ashore when the two males on the double kayak capsized and swam ashore.
"NSRI appeals to paddlers to download and use the NSRI RSA SafeTrx app on a cellphone.
"Have safety equipment, red distress flares, a referee whistle and fully charged cellphone in a watertight plastic sleeve and always wear a properly fitting safety jacket."
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