Fisherman falls overboard while launching from Shelly Beach
The JetRIB, which was prepared to launch, has become an invaluable addition to the NSRI’s fleet.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) crew member and coxswain Melodie Hermann was alerted by Shelly Control Tower that a person had fallen overboard from a commercial fishing boat during launch today at around 08:30.
Hermann had arrived arrive to open the base for maintenance when she was alerted.
NSRI prepared the JetRib to launch, however the person had made it back onto the vessel and no further assistance was required.
What is the JetRIB?
The JetRIB has become an invaluable addition to the NSRI’s fleet. NSRI Training Manager Graeme Harding tells us more about this award-winning craft.
The JetRIB’s story started a few years ago, when members of the NSRI realised that they were facing a few challenges with their smaller rescue crafts, the most pressing one being the safety of casualties and crews in the surf when propellers were involved. The second challenge was the planned discontinuation of the production of two-stroke outboard engines, which are used on the NSRI’s smaller boats.
Graeme and his team started looking at different ideas and concluded that a jet-powered craft would be their best option. A lot of the people that they approached with this concept told them they were crazy, but then Droomers Yamaha decided to take the idea seriously.
“We went down to Melkbos and did some testing on what they had built, and I was immediately super impressed with its handling capabilities and everything it could do,” Graeme recalls.
The team made some small suggestions for changes before giving Droomers the go-ahead to build the craft. Graeme then toured the country, taking it to every surf-launch base and launching it with all the crews to get their feedback.
A few minor tweaks were made and so the JetRIB was born. The craft is a combination of a four-stroke Yamaha VX1050 Jet Ski with an extension hull and Hypalon pontoons. In addition to being safer, it’s also more environmentally friendly as it doesn’t require two-stroke engine oil. It played a crucial role in the NSRI’s rescue efforts during the recent KwaZulu-Natal floods. Boats with propellers can’t be used in flooding conditions because of debris in the water.
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