Mike Vonk, NSRI Wilderness station commander, said:
KARATARA:
At 12h55, Friday, 24 June, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were alerted to reports of a truck that left the roadway at a low lying bridge on the Karatara River, Karatara Road, Karatara, inland of Sedgefield, with the truck reportedly trapped in rapid flowing water.
WC Government Health EMS ambulance and rescue squad, Knysna Fire and Rescue Services, SA Police Services, Traffic Services and the Police Dive Unit were responding.
At 13h02 our NSRI duty crew were activated following a request for swift water rescue assistance after it was confirmed that a truck with a male driver onboard was in the vehicle whichwas trapped in the river.
NSRI swift water rescue swimmers responded directly towards the scene and our NSRI rescue vehicle, towing our sea rescue craft Oscars Rescuer, responded.
While NSRI were responding towards the scene we were notified that an EMS rescue squad, with swift water rescue technicians, and Police divers had reached the vehicle, in rapidly flowing water, andthey were extracting the driver from the vehicle.
On NSRI arriving on the scene the EMS swift water rescue technicians and Police divers were bringing the casualtyto safety.
NSRI commendall emergency services involved for the successful rescue operation.
The driver of the truck was not injured.
SWART RIVER:
On Saturday, 25 June, at 16h17, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated following reports from an employee of Kaaimans River Adventures of 3 men trapped near to a waterfall on the SwartRiver, Wilderness.
It appears that a football teamfrom Cape Townhad paddled upstream on the SwartRiver, from the confluence of the Kaaimans River, on a number of paddle craft and rowing boats. All but one of the crafthad returned to their accommodation where the men were staying on the river, but the last craft, with 4 of the male soccer players onboard, had capsized at the waterfall.
Only 1of the 4menwaswearing a life-jacket. We believe that 2 of the men were able to swim to shore, but one man needed to be rescued by the man who was wearing thelife-jacket. He was able to swim his friend across the river to the opposite bank, but they were all trapped on the shore, surrounded by steep cliff faces, and all 4 were suffering hypothermia. Fearing an attempt for all 4 men to try to swim down the river may lead to further injury, one of the four men volunteered to use the life jacket and attempt to swim a distance of nearly 500 meters, in the freezing water temperatures, to seek help. The man was able to cross the river and he found Kaaimans River Adventures, further downstream, where he raised the alarm.
The kayaking instructor of Kaaimans River Adventures launched a craft and while he paddled to go to the help of the 3 remaining men, his colleague called NSRI Wilderness.
