An illuminating flare was used in the rescue of an angler who was trapped and injured by a fallen boulder in a rock pool in South Africa.
The flare was used to light the area during the 20-hour ordeal and rescue of the 41-year-old angler from Knysna one day in June 2023.
NSRI Knysna was first alerted by a member of the public from Noetzie, who had been told by a car attendant that an angler had been injured in a boulder fall and required medical attention, but was unsure of the exact location.
While on their way to the scene, NSRI Knysna Station 12 Commander, Jerome Simonis, asked the car attendant to confirm the location. WC Government Health EMS – ambulance and rescue, Knysna Fire & Rescue Department, police and their search and rescue teams were notified, along with NSRI’s Emergency Operations Centre. The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter was requested to be placed on standby by Metro EMS control.
The NSRI rescue craft JayTee IV was launched with three NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI rescue vehicle responded. When the NSRI crews arrived, the car attendant provided more details of the incident and location.
The angler grabbed onto a large rock whilst climbing, but it dislodged, and the man fell backwards into a rock pool and the boulder landed on top of him.
Raised the alarm
An unidentified fisherman managed to roll the boulder off the man and raised the alarm with the car attendant.
The car attendant then made his way back to the injured man, wearing a reflective vest to be better spotted by rescue crews. There was no cellphone signal in the area.
NSRI Knysna then requested the assistance of search and rescue pilot Greg Johnson, of Savannah Helicopters.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon says, “At that stage, the NSRI crew onboard the rescue craft spotted smoke coming from a fire that had been started by the car attendant in his efforts to attract the attention of the NSRI crew on the rescue craft.”
Three NSRI rescue swimmers were dispatched with medical equipment on a floating stretcher. They hiked along the rocks to reach the man and found him to be injured, free from the boulder but at risk from the rising tide.
The angler was treated for hypothermia and injuries. Two EMS rescue paramedics and three police search and rescue officers reached the scene and paramedics continued with medical treatment.
More NSRI rescue swimmers were requested, but by this time it was dark and an illuminating flare was used to light the area to assist the two rescue swimmers through the breaking swell.
The rescue was later postponed due to the lack of light and barely accessible terrain and the two EMS rescue paramedics remained with the angler for the night. The EMS/AMS Skymed Helicopter arrived early the next morning. The angler was hoisted aboard on a stretcher and taken to hospital.
Mr Lambinon commended the fisherman who found the angler, the car attendant, the resident who called NSRI and all rescuers involved for saving the fisherman’s life.
The image is credit of NSRI Knysna’s Facebook Page.
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