Kristo Kritzinger, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station commander, said: At 15h45, Sunday, 4 October, NSRI Jeffreys Bay and NSRI Gqeberha duty crews were activated following a request for assistance from Kouga Fire and Rescue Services responding to the Kouga River, near to the Kouga Dam, Patensie, with EC Government Health EMS, to evacuate a patient, with an injury, an adult female, from a local farm, and requiring assistance to get the patient across the swollen Kouga River.
The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter was on alert but low cloud cover was at that stage preventing a rescue helicopter extraction.
NSRI rescue swimmers with the NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue vehicle and the NSRI Gqeberha rescue vehicle, towing NSRI rescue craft, and accompanied by NSRI CROCS (small floating rescue craft), responded to join emergency services, EMS and Fire and Rescue, on the scene.
An NSRI crewman, from Patensie, responded to assist.
As the afternoon progressed fortunately cloud cover lifted and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter was dispatched by EMS Metro Control.
NSRI rescue crew remained on the scene on stand-by, with the emergency services, while the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter successfully airlifted the patient across the river in an aerial rescue operation.
The patient was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition in the care of EMS paramedics and in hospital, in the care of doctors and nurses, the patient is expected to make a full recovery.
NSRI returned to base at 19h50.
The swift response, the cooperation of all services on the scene, and the care of the patient, is commended.
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