NSRI ‘super heros’ of the day
An extensive air, sea and shoreline search unfolded in excess of 4.5m sea swells.
Four missing scuba divers drifted out to sea for some 30km before they were found by crew from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
An extensive air, sea and shoreline search unfolded in excess of 4.5m sea swells.
After five hours in the water, dive master Kyle Robertson, a local diver from Shelly Beach Sandile Dlomo, with Sven Hartwig and his 17-year-old daughter Carolina from Cape Town, were found by the crew from the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Dawn near Port Edward.
Apart from being a bit sunburnt, dehydrated, hungry and tired, they were in good spirits, reported NSRI.
Gary Wolmerans, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander explained that it was an incredible joint effort comprising of NSRI stations from Shelly Beach, Port Edward, Rocky Bay and Durban.
In the water, paramedics, police, NSRI rescue crafts and private charter boats also joined the search operation.
Meanwhile, in the air, a helicopter from Transnet National Ports Authority Port Net with NSRI station 5 Durban Airborne Sea Rescue helped in the search.
Wolmerans said a private fixed-wing aircraft was alerted by Margate Airport Air Traffic Control, and they contributed to a roughly 20 minute search along a search grid before continuing on their flight to Virginia Airport.
Lieutenant Colonel Pine Pienaar of SA Air Force, who happened to be in the area at the time, volunteered and joined the NSRI’s Joint Operations Control at the NSRI Shelly Beach operations room, assisting to plot the search grids.
“We commend all services, private crafts and individuals involved in contributing to this successful rescue operation,” he said.
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