Two experienced paddlers are recovering after a dramatic sea rescue off the Cape Peninsula coast on Saturday afternoon 16 September after the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI Simon’s Town) launched a dramatic sea rescue for the pair.
The paddlers spent nearly two hours battling severe exhaustion and hypothermia in rough seas before rescue crews located them.
The NSRI Simon’s Town duty crew activated at 15h56 following reports that the double surf-ski paddlers, visiting from St Francis Bay, were well overdue on their popular downwind route from Millers Point to Fish Hoek.
Battling conditions
Conditions were treacherous, featuring ferocious southeasterly winds gusting up to 40 knots and sea swells reaching two metres.
With no emergency signal triggered via the SafeTrx application, the NSRI mobilized coast watchers, deployed rescue swimmers to Whale Watcher’s Point, and launched two rescue craft, the Donna Nicholas and Jack & Irene.
Crew members searching north from the Roman Rock Lighthouse spotted the casualties about 20 minutes into the operation, just offshore of Glencairn.
The male paddler was seated on the craft while the female paddler was clinging to the back in the water.
Rescue swimmers immediately plunged into the ocean to secure both individuals and recover the surf-ski.
Fighting freezing elements
It was later revealed that the pair had capsized early in their journey and drifted heavily northwards.
They lost their mobile phone overboard during the initial capsize, stripping them of their primary means to raise the alarm.
For nearly two hours, they repeatedly attempted to reboard the craft while fighting the freezing elements.
Cape Medical Response (CMR) paramedics provided extensive, life-saving medical care for severe hypothermia at the Simon’s Town base before releasing the grateful paddlers to their family.
