NSRI: 5 lost kayakers rescued offshore Clifton

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) urged paddlers to download and use its NSRI SafeTRX app, as changing weather conditions can disorient or separate groups at sea. This appeal follows the rescue of a group of kayakers along Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard.

According to the NSRI, its Emergency Operations Centre investigated and determined that 5 paddlers, 2 local females, aged 60 and 59, and 3 German male tourists, aged 35, 26 and 21, became disoriented in dense fog after launching at the Three Anchor Bay slipway on Tuesday morning. The group was on 1 single sea-kayak and 2 double sea-kayaks.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon says only one NSRI SafeTRX app was in use amongst the three sea-kayaks, indicating the emergency beacon drifting towards Bantry Bay.

“In communications with the lead sea-kayaker it was confirmed that in dense fog they had become disorientated and they were adrift without knowing which way to landwards but they were maintaining staying together,” added Lambinon

Members of Atlantic Adventures, a local tourist kayak company based at Granger Bay, who had earlier in the day postponed clients in their own planned tourist sea-kayaking due to the dense fog, reportedly volunteered to assist when they spotted the 3 kayakers offshore.

Atlantic Adventures launched its safety support craft and reached the kayakers, where it was confirmed that they were not the same kayakers who had raised the alarm. Lambinon says those 3 kayakers came ashore safely at Granger Bay.

The NSRI’s rescue craft later reached the area offshore of Saunders Rocks, Bantry Bay, where during a search, in dense fog, the 5 initial casualty kayakers were located 1.3 nautical miles offshore of Clifton.

The 5 casualty kayakers were rescued onto our NSRI rescue craft, and they were treated for mild hypothermia. Their sea-kayaks were recovered.

“The 5 casualty kayakers were brought, onboard our NSRI rescue craft, to OPBC where requiring no further assistance NSRI gave them a lift (by car) back to their vehicles at Three Anchor Bay. All were in good spirits.”