rescue

Chasing 3m breaking waves in 35kt gusts is the best fun you can have outside of tangled sheets – but gear failure can be a much bigger issue.  You have to be mentally and physically prepared for things to go wrong…

[Editor: In the Southern Hemisphere, we're approaching summer...  and here's a timely article from dermatologist Dr. Gavin Gottschalk to remind us that that it's not all fun in the sun...]

Silent Killer at work...

It‘s been just over two days since DA ward councillor Stanford Slabbert‘s near fatal brush with hypothermia, and the men involved with saving him feel it was a stroke of good luck they were able to assist.

An avid paddling enthusiast, Slabbert was surfskiing in the third leg of the Sportsworld Downwind Winter Series Race on Saturday, when he was knocked from his ski by a large wave.

Spirit of Toft

Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth Station Commander said: "At 15h20 NSRI Port Elizabeth were activated to a report of 2 surf-skier's suspected to be missing at sea during the surf-ski event the "Sportsworld Downwind Winter Series Race 3", between Sardinia Bay and Noordhoek near Port Elizabeth.

The Paddler

Christmas night 2005 - Alan Witherden lay awake listening to the howling wind.  The southeaster had been blowing hard for several days and thoughts of the resulting rough seas were preying on Alan's mind.  In Cape Town on holiday, he had arranged to join his friend John Rhynes for an early morning paddle the next day.  They were to do the famous "Millers Run" from Millers Point near Simonstown, across the bay to Fish Hoek.