Latest news with #CraigLambinon
IOL News
28-06-2025
- IOL News
Urgent search for missing student at East Beach, Port Alfred
Authorities are searching for a student who went missing while swimming with friends at East Beach in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape. Image: File Picture A student is missing after he got into difficulty while swimming with friends at East Beach in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape on Friday. National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said at approximately 1.42 am on Friday morning, the NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following reports of a person missing at East Beach. Lambinon said it appears that three friends, two males and a female, Rhodes University students, had gone swimming when all three may have been caught in rip currents. 'One man and the female were reportedly able to swim to safety,' he said, adding that they were not injured. He said a 22-year-old man from Limpopo, now living in Makhanda, reportedly went missing in the surf zone. NSRI Port Alfred rescue swimmers, an NSRI rescue vehicle, the SA Police Services, and Multi Security responded to the incident. In addition, Lambinon said the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha was launched. 'An extensive search operation for the missing man commenced. Despite the extensive sea and shoreline search, no signs of the missing man were found,' he said. He said on Friday the NSRI Port Alfred rescue craft, an NSRI rescue vehicle, and NSRI rescue swimmers assisted the SA Police Services, Police K9 Search and Rescue, and SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) in ongoing search efforts that are being led by Police. Lambinon said the man remains missing and police have opened an investigation. 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time,' he said. Ranging in width from just a few metres to a hundred metres, the NSRI said rip currents pull to just behind where the waves form and then lose their power. A rip current is not the same as a rip tide, which is formed as the tide ebbs and flows through a narrow opening such as an estuary, the NSRI noted. Rip currents: How to spot them and what to do when caught in one Rip currents are able to develop where there are breaking waves. Bigger waves produce stronger currents, and these 'rivers' of current are produced by water moving from the beach back out to sea. They happen all the time at many beaches and are the biggest danger that visitors face in the water. As with all risks, avoiding rip currents altogether is the safest strategy. To do this, swim at a beach where lifeguards are on duty and swim between their flags. Although an untrained eye may struggle to see rip currents, stronger rip currents give telltale signs. With patience and careful observation, it is not hard to see that water in a channel or 'river' between breaking waves is moving away from the beach. The current may not flow straight out from the beach; it may flow at an angle or have a bend or two in it before it gets to the backline where waves are forming.
IOL News
18-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
NSRI crews save struggling young Humpback whale tangled in fishing rope
NSRI crew members cutting away at the ropes wrapped around the juvenile whale. Image: NSRI The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has confirmed its crews have successfully disentangled a juvenile humpback whale along the West Coast in the Western Cape. The whale was caught in fishing rope and flotation buoys. On Tuesday, June 17, NSRI station 24, Lamberts Bay, NSRI station 44, St Helena Bay, and NSRI station 34, Yzerfontein, were alerted by South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) following reports from a Purse Seiner fishing vessel offshore, North of Elands Bay, of a whale entangled in fishing rope and flotation buoys. NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said NSRI crew members were trained by SAWDN for these incidents. Crew members during the whale disentanglement. Image: NSRI Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Crews from all three NSRI stations responded to the NSRI Lamberts Bay station 34 rescue base, where the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Saldanha was launched, accompanied by NSRI crew (who are all trained SAWDN crew) and accompanied by the specialized SAWDN cutting equipment. Telkom Maritime Radio Services, NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), and NSRI headquarters operations assisted in communications and logistics,' Lambinon said. On arrival at where the whale had been spotted, a search commenced, and the eight-metre juvenile was located approximately one nautical mile offshore, 17 nautical miles south of Lambert's Bay. Lambinon said the whale appeared to be tired and lethargic, most likely from being entangled for quite some time. 'A kegging buoy and an extra flotation buoy were attached to the existing entangled fishing rope to increase the whale's buoyancy and to limit movement of the whale further. This was a precaution, as the whale was already not moving around much,' Lambinon said. Team leader from NSRI Yzerfontein, Johan Liebetrau, said a number of cuts needed to be made because of the multiple wraps of fishing rope around the whale. The NSRI rescue craft coxswain, Gerhard Visagie, gently maneuvered the NSRI rescue craft alongside the whale, and the crew began the challenging task of cutting free the entangled fishing rope cautiously in an effort to prevent injury to the whale while maintaining safety on the NSRI rescue craft and NSRI/SAWDN crew. 'The whale appeared to cooperate with the extensive efforts that were being employed to cut free the stubborn wraps of thick fishing rope. In total, eight cuts were made before all fishing rope and flotation buoys were successfully cut free from the whale.' 'All of the fishing rope and flotation buoys were recovered for investigation and disposal by SAWDN and the Department of Environment. Efforts were made to catch up with the whale after all wraps of fishing rope were cut free and recovered, but the young whale had sped off, swimming confidently and diving, without hanging around and without any hesitation,' Liebetrau said. IOL
IOL News
06-06-2025
- IOL News
Tragic recovery: Body of missing boy found at Mdumbi Beach
The 13-year-old girl taken to hospital after a near drowning incident at Mdumbi Beach in the Eastern Cape. Image: Supplied The body of a young boy who went missing at Mdumbi Beach in the Eastern Cape on Sunday, June 1, has been recovered. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) confirmed the body of the seven-year-old boy was located and recovered on Tuesday evening by local fishermen. The child was reported missing on Sunday after he and three other children were caught in rip currents while swimming during the outgoing tide. Off-duty lifeguards responded promptly, while volunteers from Mdumbi Backpackers, who had been surfing nearby, noticed the group of children in distress and rescued three girls from the surf using their boards. Sadly, indications suggested a fourth child remained missing in the water. NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said the boy's body was found in the vicinity of where he went missing days earlier. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'The family of the child, police, and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services attended the scene where the body of the child was located and recovered. The body of the child was taken into the care of the police and the Government Health Forensic Pathology Services. Police have opened an Inquest docket. Our thoughts, care, and compassion are with the family and everyone involved. The fishermen, who located the body and raised the alarm, have been commended,' Lambinon said. A 13-year-old girl, who had been among those rescued, was treated on the beach for non-fatal drowning symptoms and transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition by a family member. Tragically, she died on Monday. IOL
TimesLIVE
20-05-2025
- TimesLIVE
Divers recover body of 22-year-old man off KZN south coast
A body believed to be that of a 22-year-old man who went missing in the surf at Southbroom on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast was recovered by police divers on Monday. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) on Tuesday said its Shelly Beach crew was activated at around 1.30pm on Monday after eyewitness reports of a body floating in the surf zone offshore at Southbroom's Main Beach. 'A search by police divers for the missing Durban man, assisted by police K9 search and rescue, NSRI Shelly Beach and NSRI Port Edward was ongoing since Thursday last week,' it said. NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the Shelly Beach rescue craft Spirit of Dawn, accompanied by police divers, was launched. 'On arrival at the scene, the body of an adult man was located and recovered from the water by police divers and brought onboard the NSRI rescue craft,' he said. The body was taken into the care of forensic pathology and police, said Lambinon. 'The family of the 22-year-old man were attended to at the NSRI rescue base by police and forensics authorities. Formal identification of the man is being arranged with the family, in accordance with formal protocols. 'An inquest docket has been opened by police.'
IOL News
29-04-2025
- IOL News
Good Samaritan dies while helping to save paddler at Kalk Bay Harbour
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said NSRI Strandfontein, Cape Medical Response, the SA Police Services, WC Government Health EMS and Law Enforcement were all activated following eyewitnesses reporting the paddler to have capsized about 150 meters offshore of the Kalk Bay Harbour wall. Image: FILE A DRAMATIC rescue of a paddler on a surf-ski offshore of Kalk Bay Harbour ended in tragedy when a Good Samaritan who attempted to save his life died on Monday. The local man, aged 35, had, on seeing the 57-year-old paddler appearing to be in difficulty on his surf-ski, jumped off the Kalk Bay Harbour wall and swam to him in efforts to assist. NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said NSRI Strandfontein, Cape Medical Response, the SA Police Services, WC Government Health EMS and Law Enforcement were all activated following eyewitnesses reporting the paddler to have capsized about 150 meters offshore of the Kalk Bay Harbour wall. He said their NSRI Simons Town crew had been at their base at the time, conducting routine training when they were called to respond. 'A local fishing vessel, the Emily Marie, hearing bystanders calling out for help, had seen the paddler in the water and the skipper and crew of the Emily Marie launched their fishing vessel to assist. The paddler, although in the water, was gradually swimming back towards the Kalk Bay Harbour mouth using his surf-ski to aid in his floatation. The Good Samaritan had reached the paddler but appeared then to be in difficulties himself,' he said. At this stage the fishing vessel Emily Marie had reached the two men, rescuing both onto their fishing vessel.
