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Lucky rescue for Paddler

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Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth Station Commander, said; “At 10h52, Saturday, 01 November, NSRI Port Elizabeth were alerted to a paddler overdue and missing in the vicinity of Sardinia Bay, Port Elizabeth.

“At 06h00 a group of paddlers had embarked on a downwind paddle, from Summerstrand, Algoa Bay, down the Wild Side towards their destination, a landing spot in Sardinia Bay

“It appears that during the paddle conditions deteriorated with visibility reduced by mist in rough sea swells of 3 meters and a steady 25 knot South Easterly wind.

“At 10h15 the group of paddlers arrived in Sardinia Bay but realised that one of the paddlers was overdue and missing and despite climbing up a sand dune to try to spot the missing paddler they couldn’t spot him and they raised the alarm.

“NSRI Port Elizabeth responded in our sea rescue vehicle towing our sea rescue craft BOARDWALK RESCUE which was launched on-scene and our rescue BOARDWALK Quad Bike which went up the sand dune where shore sea rescue crew tried to spot the paddler.

“The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Beach Office authorities and GaudMed ambulance services also responded.

“At that stage the paddler was spotted 3 quarters of a nautical mile West of their intended landing spot and he appeared to be in the water, hanging onto his surf ski, and drifting rapidly towards a reef and breaking wave sets.

“In a rough and confused sea state our sea rescue craft reached the man who was in breaking surf sets and tried to rescue the man but the first rescue effort was aborted to avoid breaking waves and it was clear to our rescue crew that the man was in a critical hypothermic state with his hands frozen in a vice grip to his paddle board and the man was unresponsive to verbal instructions and on a second run rescue effort our sea rescue crew reached the man (still clinging to his paddle board but unresponsive) and prized the injured mans hands free of his surf-ski and forcibly rescued him onto our sea rescue craft with only seconds to spare before being close to being battered by an incoming set of breaking waves and once on the sea rescue craft treatment commenced for severe hypothermia while our sea rescue craft raced to shore through extremely rough and a confused sea state and the casualty, in severe pain from hypothermia and in a critical condition was brought to shore where he was loaded onto our sea rescue vehicle on the beach and driven to the parking area where he was loaded into a GaurdMed ambulance.

“Treatment for severe hypothermia continued in the ambulance and Mr. Clint Hempel, 48, from St Francis Bay, was transported to hospital in a critical condition where doctors continued to fight to save his life and following extensive rewarming procedures Mr. Hempels condition has stabilised and although he remains in a serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit of St Georges Life Health Care Hospital, with his wife at his side, doctors are confident that he will fully recover.”

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.

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