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[Editor: although this story refers to the South African National Sea Rescue Institute, the points made apply wherever you are in the world!] On Christmas day, members from three NSRI stations: Yzerfontein, Melkbosstrand and Table Bay responded to reports of an abandoned surf ski found near Dassen Island.
The ski had an Oceana Power Boat Club number on it and the owner was traced a few hours later to his home in Rondebosch. He'd fallen off the ski near Milnerton a few days earlier and had abandoned it.
The NSRI has appealed to surf ski owners to take the following actions to help prevent the waste of scarce resources:
Mark your equipment with name and number
Although many skis have racing registration numbers (and this ski had an OPBC number) it helps if the craft has name and number. In this case it took several hours for the NSRI to find the person at the club who had the list of registrations. During this time they continued to search for the "missing" paddler, consuming considerable fuel and other resources.
Report lost craft to the NSRI
If you lose your craft at sea, please contact the NSRI and let them know. Apart from anything else, this will facilitate getting your ski back should it be found!
How to contact the NSRI
The local numbers of the NSRI stations may be found on their website, http://www.nsri.org.za/.
Emergency numbers
The website also lists all the local emergency numbers - but the national number to call no matter where you are in South Africa is:
082 911
Memorise it!
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