Durban — Four scuba divers were rescued after an extensive search on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Sunday.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Shelly Beach station commander Gary Wolmerans said that at 10.38am, the NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated following reports of four scuba divers missing in the vicinity of Protea Banks, Southern Pinnacle, just over 4 nautical miles offshore of Margate, KZN South Coast.

The group of scuba divers, made up of four males and one female, is believed to be aged between 18 and 43. Two men from the South Coast and a father and daughter from Cape Town went missing during a scuba dive.

Wolmerans said the charter boat raised the alarm while initiating a search.

He said the NSRI station 20 Shelly Beach rescue craft Spirit of Dawn and Freemasons Way, the NSRI station 32 Port Edward rescue craft Spirit of Steve, were launched, accompanied by paramedics and police search and rescue officers. The charter boats Aqua Planet and African Dive Adventures joined in the search operation, and a Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port Net helicopter, accompanied by an NSRI station 5 Durban Airborne Sea Rescue (ASR) rescue swimmer, activated and joined in the search.

Wolmerans said Margate Airport Air Traffic Control (ATC) alerted a private fixed-wing aircraft and they contributed to a search of about 20 minutes along a search grid before continuing on their flight towards Virginia Airport. They are commended for their contribution in the search.

Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), supported by the NSRI’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), TNPA Durban Port Control, NSRI Shelly Beach, NSRI Port Edward and NSRI Rocky Bay duty controllers assisted in determining sea drift currents, wind speeds and direction to plot search grids.

Med-Evac and MI7 ambulance services assisted.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services broadcast an all-ships marine VHF radio broadcast alerting vessels in the area to be on the lookout.

SA Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel Pine Pienaar, who happened to be in the area at the time, volunteered and joined the NSRI’s Joint Operations Control (JOC) at the NSRI Shelly Beach operations room, assisting in plotting the search grids.

“He is commended for his contribution to the search,” Wolmerans said.

“During an extensive air, sea and shoreline search, involving sweeping line search efforts, in excess of 4.5m sea swells, the four divers were located by the crew on board the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Dawn, at 1.37pm, 3 nautical miles off-shore of Leisure Bay, and they were recovered onto the NSRI rescue craft.

“In good spirits, although a bit sunburnt, dehydrated, hungry and tired, they had drifted some 18 nautical miles south from where they had surfaced and had lost sight of their dive boat before drifting away in sea currents contributed by the sea conditions in excess of 4.5m sea swells,” Wolmerans said.

He said they were treated by paramedics, including for motion sickness to one of the divers, and they were brought safely to Shelly Beach, where after further medical evaluation they were released in good health.

“We commend all services, private craft and individuals involved in contributing to this successful rescue operation,” Wolmerans added.

After hours of searching, the divers were located by the crew on board the National Sea Rescue Institute rescue craft Spirit of Dawn, 3 nautical miles offshore of Leisure Bay. Picture: Med-Evac Ambulance

Med-Evac Ambulance said the team were found after five hours, battling against the elements. The exhausted divers drifted about 30km from the Protea Banks reef towards Mpenjati.

Med-Evac said the divers were found and rescued – all tired and hungry but stable.

“The exhausted divers drifted approximately 30km from the Protea Banks reef towards Mpenjati,” Med-Evac said.

“One was very seasick and received medication on the way back to shore. On arrival, all were assessed by NSRI crews and refused hospital treatment.”

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