Stay safe: NSRI issues urgent warning for beachgoers during new moon spring tide

While tragedy has struck at sea in two separate incidents, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has advised beachgoers to be cautious during the new moon spring tide, which peaks today, Saturday, December 20, as it will greatly impact tidal conditions throughout the weekend.

“This natural phenomenon occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth align during the new moon phase, amplifying the gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans. The effects of this new moon spring tide will be felt over this weekend and for the next few days, and the NSRI is asking beach visitors, rock and surf anglers, and people who intend to walk on coastal paths to be aware of the stronger tidal variation typical of spring tides,” the NSRI said.

This week, in Hermanus, a man’s body was found floating face down in the sea offshore of Schulphoek. 

According to NSRI Hermanus coxswain, Jean le Roux, their duty crew was activated on December 18 at 2.40pm following reports of a person observed appearing to be unresponsive.

“While responding to the scene, further information indicated that the incident was related to that of a Cape Town man who had reportedly been swept off rocks by waves.

“On the NSRI rescue craft arriving on the scene, the man was recovered onto an NSRI rescue craft, and he was brought to the NSRI Hermanus rescue base, where paramedics sadly declared the man deceased. The body of the man, (believed to be) age 27, was taken into the care of the police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services,” said Le Roux.

Meanwhile, in Plettenberg Bay, NSRI Plettenberg Bay deputy station commander Ross Badenhorst said their duty crew was activated following eyewitness reports of a male fallen from a cliff at Natures Valley - Bull Se Baai, Garden Route National Park.

“On arrival on the scene, a search commenced for a 16-year-old male teenager, from Cape Town, who had reportedly fallen from a height from a cliff, while on a hike. The teenager had fallen into the sea, and he was missing,” said Badenhorst.

Among the resources activated were two NSRI rescue craft, the Courtenay's Rescuer and Rescue Ray, which were launched. This, while a private boat, with NSRI crew onboard, was nearby to the scene at the time, responded.

“During a search, an NSRI JetRIB Rescue Ray was able to navigate into the mouth of a cave, timing the incoming wave sets, where an NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed from the rescue craft into the water to investigate inside Ouma and Oupa caves - in a rising tide - with waves washing into the cave - while the rescue craft retreated. While searching in the cave, the rescue swimmer located the unresponsive teenager, with critical injuries,” said Badenhorst.

Additional NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI doctor were deployed from the rescue craft into the water - they swam into the cave, timing incoming wave sets, where, despite increasing wave surges in the rising tide, they secured the teenager into a floating stretcher and then recovered him. 

Police have opened separate inquest dockets for both incidents.

For more information, visit http://www.nsri.org.za/

chevon.booysen@inl.co.za