At least eight people have been rescued in separate incidents by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) since the start of the long weekend in the Western Cape.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said on Sunday multiple incidents on the coast and inland waterways highlighted an urgent appeal by the organisation, police and law enforcement agencies, lifeguards and emergency services to bathers, boaters, paddlers, sailors and fishermen to keep safety top of mind in and around water.

On Friday three men were saved when their small boat capsized at Koegel Bay.

“Two NSRI Gordons Bay rescue craft arrived on the scene three minutes after the alarm was raised finding one person clinging to the upturned hull and two people in the water. They had called a friend to raise the alarm and they were able to set off red distress flares,” said Lambinon.

On Saturday three people were rescued after NSRI coast watchers in Sea Point raised the alarm after earlier warning that stand-up paddle boarders 100m offshore at Rocklands Beach could be swept out to sea as wind speeds picked up suddenly. “The fishing vessel Nicolette had also spotted the three people on their two [boards] being swept out to sea and the fishermen were able to use their fishing vessel to provide them a lee from the wind almost a nautical mile offshore until NSRI Bakoven arrived on the scene.”

They were taken to to the Oceana Power Boat Club where provincial health paramedics treated them for hypothermia.

On the West Coast, between Yzerfontein and Saldanha Bay, NSRI Yzerfontein, NSRI Mykonos and the Transnet National Ports Authority conducted an extensive search for two people on a pencil racing duck, who went missing near Langebaan Lagoon while training for the Trans Agulhas.

“They were eventually found to have washed into the Saldanha Bay Iron Ore area and were safe,” said Lambinon.

He appealed to boaters, paddlers and sailors to download and use the NSRI RSA SafeTrx smartphone application, wear gear appropriate for expected weather and water temperatures, wear life-jackets, carry a referee whistle, wear brightly coloured clothing and carry red distress flares and fully charged cellphones in water tight plastic sleeves.

“Let a responsible person know your launch time, route and return time — and all involved should have the emergency numbers 112 and 0870949774 at the ready to raise the alarm,” he said.

Meanwhile four people drowned in incidents at False Bay and Camps Bay.

“At 1am on Sunday, NSRI Bakoven and the South African Police Service searched between Camps Bay and Glen Beach where a group of people had earlier entered the water and then reported that one person went missing in the surf. Police divers are continuing a search at Camps Bay for a 42-year-old female who remains missing,” said Lambinon.

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