MPUMALANGA – What began as a routine evening on the waters of the Grootdraai Dam turned into a nerve-wracking rescue operation when four men found themselves trapped in a ski-boat hovering on the edge of the dam’s spillway near Standerton, Mpumalanga, at approximately 19:05 on Monday, 29 December 2025.
According to a National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) statement, the men were at serious risk of being swept over the dam wall in heavy flowing water, with an estimated 40-metre drop into the Vaal River below, after their ski-boat reportedly suffered mechanical failure and drifted towards the spillway.
NSRI Witbank and NSRI Gauteng duty crews were activated following a request for urgent assistance from police divers who were already on the scene. A joint rescue effort involving the Department of Water and Sanitation, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Delta 1 Search and Rescue, SAPS K9 Search and Rescue, Mpumalanga Fire and Rescue Services and Mpumalanga Government Health Emergency Medical Services was launched, but initial attempts to reach the men were unsuccessful due to the dangerous water flow and conditions at the dam wall.
At a critical moment in the unfolding emergency, a Department of Water and Sanitation official took decisive action by opening three sluice spillway gates. According to the NSRI statement, this intervention altered the water pressure at the spillway, creating a vacuum beneath the stranded ski-boat and preventing it from being swept over the edge.
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While the move left the boat trapped in a precarious position, it significantly reduced the immediate danger and bought rescuers valuable time to plan a safe approach.
NSRI has since commended the Department of Water and Sanitation for the quick thinking and technical understanding that played a key role in stabilising the situation.
NSRI Witbank responded by dispatching its rescue vehicle towing the rescue craft Harveys Fibreglass, travelling approximately 140 kilometres from Witbank to Standerton. NSRI Gauteng was also activated and dispatched its rescue vehicle towing the rescue craft Rotary Endeavor from Benoni, approximately 143 kilometres away.
On arrival, NSRI Witbank launched Harveys Fibreglass three to four kilometres upstream from the dam wall. The rescue craft, crewed by three NSRI members and accompanied by a civilian with extensive knowledge of the dam, approached the spillway cautiously while assessing multiple rescue options in unfamiliar and high-risk terrain.
NSRI Witbank station commander Travis Clack explained that the initial plan was to approach the casualties stern-first, allowing the rescue craft to drift backwards towards the dam wall with engine power ready to be applied if the craft was drawn into the same vacuum or placed at risk of going over the spillway.
However, strong winds of between 12 and 14 knots caused excessive movement of the rescue craft, prompting Clack to change tactics. He decided to approach bow-first, with reverse gear ready to be engaged at a moment’s notice should conditions worsen.
Despite the risks, this approach allowed for greater control of the rescue craft.
NSRI Gauteng remained on standby at the launch site, prepared to deploy Rotary Endeavor if additional support became necessary.
When the rescue craft reached the ski-boat, the four men were observed clinging to the stern of the vessel, all wearing life jackets. Clack, together with crew members Francois du Randt and Jacqueline Enslin, prepared a throw line fitted with a soft rescue buoy.
According to the statement, the initial plan was to rescue the men one at a time. However, given the strength of the water flow, the decision was made to instruct all four men to secure themselves to the throw line once one of them managed to grab hold of it.
Once the men were confirmed to be secure, reverse thrust was applied, pulling them away from the trapped ski-boat and towards calmer water, while an NSRI crew member hauled in the throw line.
All four men were successfully brought aboard the rescue craft and transported to shore, where emergency services were standing by.
They were medically assessed by paramedics and found to be uninjured, the statement said.
The ski-boat, with the men’s personal belongings still onboard, remains trapped on the edge of the weir. NSRI indicated that the owner will consider recovery options and that the situation continues to be monitored by authorities.
The four adult males are reported to be from Kinross in Mpumalanga, Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, Potchefstroom in the North West, and one is believed to be from the Standerton area.
NSRI has commended the coordinated efforts of all role players involved in the operation, crediting the combination of technical intervention and carefully executed rescue manoeuvres with preventing a potentially fatal outcome.
