In ongoing drowning prevention efforts, a camera has been positioned at Strand Beach for duty controllers to monitor the water. This will act as a back-up to the lifeguards watching the water from their lifeguard tower and the lifeguards patrolling the beach.
Two Kayakers were recently rescued off Strand Beach with the help of the camera. Shortly after 4pm on Monday [December 21], Sea Rescue Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) duty operator Randall Cupido was monitoring Strand Beach surfline on the new NSRI water safety camera monitor when he noticed two men on a sea kayak appearing to be struggling against strong South Easterly winds 200 metres off-shore of the beach.
Zooming in with the camera at 4.11pm, Randall observed two men from Brackenfell, believed to be in their 30’s, who capsizing on their craft. With the use of the water safety camera, it was noticed that the men appeared to be unable to remount their kayak and they were in difficulties.
NSRI EOC alerted the City of Cape Town (CoCT) lifeguards on duty at Strand Beach to the unfolding emergency.
CoCT lifeguards launched the Strand Surf Lifesaving Club’s inshore rescue craft and 14 minutes after the capsizing, the two men were rescued by the CoCT lifeguards about 100 meters offshore of Strand beach.
They were brought safely to shore and although they were both exhausted from their ordeal they required no further assistance.
“This is the type of team work that saves lives,” said Sea Rescue’s acting Drowning Prevention Director Andrew Ingram.
“The Sea Rescue water safety camera at Strand Beach is very quickly proving its worth in assisting the City of Cape Town and Strand Surf Lifesaving Club lifeguards to help to prevent dangerous situations and to speed up getting help to those who need rescuing,” said Ingram.
For assistance from the NSRI, contact SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774
Picture: Unsplash