Two burglaries took place this month at the Alpha Surf Lifesaving Club in Strandfontien, leaving the club without some valuable rescue service supplies and resources.
Founded in 1961, the Alpha Surf Lifesaving Club is a multi-award winning voluntary surf lifesaving club which is affiliated with Lifesaving South Africa. The club monitors the waters at Bluewater beach.
Reports indicate that assailants broke into and stole from the clubhouse on March 3 2019. Among the items stolen was a Yamaha 40 horse power outboard motor that powers the lifesaving club’s rapid response rescue boat.
In a social media post, the Alpha Surf Lifesaving Club pleaded with the public to provide any information on those responsible for the theft.
“Please everybody I ask that you please share as the motor of our rescue boat was stolen. Our clubhouse Alpha Surf Lifesaving Club was broken into and the boats motor stolen. This is a craft that is used to perform rapid response rescues for our communities and it is vital to the club that we try and retrieve this motor.”
A second burglary happened on Sunday when the club’s rescue base was broken into. Items taken include a Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a device used for reviving unresponsive drawing or cardiac arrest victims during Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Other items stolen were the Shark Attack pack, First Aid items and other equipment. Some of the equipment was found damaged outside in the sand dunes nearby.
Organisers of the Freedom Paddle, an annual surfski race, will be attempting to raise funds to replace the stolen motor. The event takes place on April 27 2019 and the Alpha Surf Lifesaving Club is the safety and rescue service provider for the day.
The team aims to raise R40 000 to replace the stolen motor.
Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) commented on the burglaries, saying, “WSAR is disheartened by these recent setbacks of the Alpha SLC.”
The Alpha Surf Lifesaving Club says that donations or any other assistance provided will be a great help to the organisation.
“The chairman of ASLC, Francois Sisam, is the son of the founder member of this club. He and the members will appreciate any assistance that will enable them to return to a “full stand-by mode” for the beachgoers along the coast. He can be contacted on 0824672720.”
Picture: Facebook, Alpha Lifesaving Club