The Spring Tide caused unimaginable damage along the South African coastline; the NSRI played a vital role in assisting the public through the surges.
South Africa (20 September 2023) – The NSRI as a whole was affected by the recent Spring Tide that sent shockwaves through South Africa. The high tide caused great damage, sucked cars into the ocean and put many people at risk. The days of high tide caught on camera and shared throughout the world, were the busiest 24 hours the NSRI have faced. While working to save lives, they also had to protect their own stations from being lashed by angry seas.
They shared some insight into just how busy they were during the high Spring Tide on Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th of September 2023.
If you would like to support the work being done by the teams, you can reach out via the website here. These heroes went above and beyond despite facing many challenges themselves.
Saturday, 16 September:
08h02: WILDERNESS:
- NSRI Wilderness reported that at least 4 NSRI pink rescue buoys and their poles had been swept away by a peak Spring high tide surge which also caused damage to wooden step ways.
- NSRI Wilderness duty crews had to remove an NSRI rescue craft from the Herolds Bay-sponsored rescue garage at about midday – in preparation for the predicted storm surges – and then returned to Herolds Bay as sea conditions worsened with the incoming tide as the afternoon progressed.
- Sadly storm surge conditions affected residential properties including the NSRI garage causing damage during the peak of the Spring tide but fortunately, no injuries were sustained.
13h02: SANDY BAY:
- NSRI Hout Bay and the City of Cape Town (CoCT) water rescue network were activated to help 2 teenagers who had been bodyboarding. The eyewitness stayed on the line with the NSRI Hout Bay station commander and to his relief reported that the teenager had reached the beach and he and his bodyboarding friend were walking towards the Sandy Bay car park seemingly not injured.
13h20: JONGENSFONTEIN (near to Stilbaai):
- NSRI Stilbaai duty crew alerted to cars being swept out to sea at Jongensfontein. 5 cars, belonging to hikers had been swept away. The hikers were not there but hiking. Hessequa Municipal Emergency Services, SA Police Services and NSRI Stilbaai rescue swimmers responded and found public members were attempting to save some of the vehicles as the hikers had not yet returned.
No persons were injured. - NSRI Still Bay returned to Stilbaai Harbour where public members were congregating to view the incoming high tide. The crew blocked the harbour and advised the public to move away and to move their vehicles well clear of the shoreline.
- At least 4 groups of teenagers were preparing to use the big seas as an opportunity to surf. NSRI Still Bay crew convinced them not to launch. Unfortunately, 3 teenagers launched to body board. A male teenager was slammed against the harbor wall dislocating his shoulder. That body boarder made it out of the water safely and was treated for a shoulder injury later determined to be a dislocated shoulder. The remaining 2 teenagers exited the water safely.
17h35:
- Restaurant staff at Die Lapskuit restaurant, Stilbaai, reported a surfer being swept out to sea through the Goukou estuary at the Goukou River. NSRI rescue swimmers responded and an NSRI JetRib rescue craft was launched but fortunately, it was found that it was only an unmanned sea kayak that had been swept away.
15h14: GORDONS BAY:
- NSRI Gordons Bay, GB Med Sec ambulance services, the SA Police Services (SAPS) and Gordons Bay Neighbourhood watch responded to the parking area at Bikini Beach where a storm surge penetrated a car park and roadway, also affecting businesses and residential homes. As NSRI rescue swimmers, a GB Med ambulance and a Police patrol vehicle arrived on the scene where it was quickly determined that no persons were trapped or injured.
15h53: GQEBERHA:
- NSRI Gqeberha, SA Police Services, Nelson Mandela Bay emergency services and the Beach Office responded to Mangolds Pool Resort where caravans, a structure and vehicles had been swept away by a storm surge. A number of caravans and structures were comprised by the Spring high tide, a number of people were safely evacuated including 1 dog, 1 bird, 2 ladies, 2 children and 2 males, who were evacuated out of their caravans and taken to the gatehouse at Three Pools – no injuries were reported.
16h04: THREE ANCHOR BAY
- NSRI TABLE BAY and NSRI Bakoven rescue swimmers responded following reports of a drowning in progress at the Three Anchor Bay slipway. On arrival on the scene, a 25-year-old Johannesburg man was found safe on the shore but injured. It appears he had been using a shower at the beach containers when storm surge waves swept up the beach slamming him against the wall. Eyewitnesses suggested he was helped by bystanders to escape the water. The man was transported to the hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition suffering hypothermia.
16h20: KNYSNA:
- NSRI Knysna duty crew attended at the NSRI Knysna rescue station which was flooded during a storm surge.
2 NSRI rescue craft JayTee Rescuer IV and Katharine were removed from the rescue station to safe moorings.
NSRI Knysna volunteers are continuing with repairs and mopping up operations and NSRI Knysna volunteers remain on full operational readiness to respond to emergencies.
18h05, WILDERNESS:
- NSRI Wilderness and Frontier Medix ambulance services responded to Leentjiesklip, Wilderness Beach, where during a storm surge waves had penetrated a car park where an adult male had been swept under a vehicle, sustaining injuries, and a 93-year-old female had been swept away at the car park. Both were transported to the hospital by Frontier Medix ambulance where sadly the lady was declared deceased. Condolences are conveyed to family of the deceased lady.
MOSSEL BAY:
- On Saturday during the afternoon, NSRI Mossel Bay rescue station was flooded during a storm surge. NSRI Mossel Bay volunteers secured NSRI rescue craft preventing damage to resources and remained on alert to respond to emergencies.
JEFFREYS BAY:
- On Saturday NSRI Jeffreys Bay moved rescue resources out of the NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue station in preparation for pending storm surges.
- NSRI Jeffreys Bay crew volunteer assisted a surfer in difficulty at The Point. The surfer was exhausted after appearing to have been caught in strong rip currents before washing onto the shoreline at The Point. He was treated for hypothermia and exhaustion before being released requiring no further assistance.
- At Aston Bay, an NSRI Jeffreys Bay crew member assisted people at a bachelors/bachelorette party at the Aston Bay Causeway where their venue was swamped by the storm surge. There were no injuries.
KALK BAY:
- NSRI were alerted on Saturday afternoon to The Brass Bell Restaurant swamped during a storm surge. Some patrons reportedly suffered minor injuries but NSRI were informed that no rescue assistance was required.
Sunday, 17 September:
KZN SOUTH COAST:
- During Sunday afternoon NSRI Shelly Beach was notified that Mariners Restaurant at Southbroom was flooded by a Storm Surge. NSRI were notified that no water rescue assistance was required. NSRI, in unconfirmed reports, believe that an NSRI pink rescue buoy had been used to assist a patron to safety. It is reported that serious injuries had been sustained in that incident.
18h30: RICHARDS BAY:
- NSRI Richards Bay, SA Police Services and City of uMhlathuze emergency services and authorities attended at Alkanstrand and Palm Beach which had been flooded during a storm surge. Alkanstrand was closed and monitored, by authorities through the night, and damage was assessed by local authorities on Monday morning. No injuries were reported.
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