SUP Drama
Friday 2 December 2011 If ever there was a reminder about safety at sea – we witnessed it yesterday! Just before 5pm, a person on a SUP was spotted going in at Scarborough. Post by Gary van Rooyen, of Western Province Surfing and SUPSA.
He was last seen falling off his board before a local resident lost sight of him and called the NSRI. The wind was East-South-East at a galeforce 35 knots and there was a 2m ocean swell running.
That wind becomes off-shore from Misty’s to the Kom, so if you miss the Factory and it’s bye-bye sweet Mary-Jane. There's now way back. Tom from the Kommetjie Station rallied all of their local troops as well as calling for back-up from the Hout Bay NSRI Station plus a helicopter to search from the sky.
To cut a long story short, they found the Johannesburg holiday maker off the Crayfish Factory at about 7pm. That’s two hours in freezing nine degree water.
Mr Johannesburg – you are one lucky guy!
A HUGE thank you to Tom, his Kommetjie team, NSRI Hout Bay as well as the search and rescue chopper – we remain indebted to you guys!
PS – NO FLARE, NO LIFE-JACKET, NO LEASH, NO PHONE --– NO PADDLE!