Foto: NSRI
Foto: NSRI
‘n Mediese student (19) wat saam met sy vriende naby Sandy Bay van die Bos400-wrak die see in gespring het, het net-net erge permanente beserings vrygespring.
NSRI sê die student saam met drie van sy vriende het ‘n avontuur aangepak wat een in die hospitaal laat beland het.
Spencer Oldham, bevelvoerder van NSRI Station 8 in Houtbaai, sê die vier het toegang tot die wrak se hyskraanstruktuur verkry, vanwaar hulle in die see gespring het.
Die 19-jarige het ‘n slegte landing in die water gehad en het pyn in sy laer rug ervaar. Sy vriende het hom na ‘n plat klip area geneem en die NSRI gekontak.
NSRI Stasie 8 wat reeds lanseer was, saam met EMS-reddingsparamedici is na die reddingstoneel. Lugsteun was reeds met ‘n ander operasie elders besig.
Die student is gestabiliseer en op ‘n gespesialiseerde draagbaar geplaas waarmee hy op die water gedryf het tot by die reddingstuig. Van daar is hy na Stasie 8 geneem en daarna na ‘n hospitaal.
Hy is met ‘n fraktuur op sy stuitjie gediagnoseer en word as gelukkig geag dat hy nie erger beserings opgedoen het nie.
Oldham het ‘n stukkie geskiedenis oor die Bos400 gedeel, saam met ‘n ernstige waarskuwing om liewer die area sowel as die wrak heeltemal te vermy.
“There have been many incidents of injuries at the BOS 400 over the years,” says Spencer.
The Bos400, a French barge, ran aground during a storm while being towed by the Russian tugboat Tigr in 1994, on the same site as an earlier wreck, that of the SS Oakburn, a British cargo steamer. There are also several other wrecks in the wider area.
“The water around the Bos400 wreck is at maximum 20 metres deep,” says Spencer. “The helipad and superstructure of the Bos400 broke off early in September 2010; these have corroded over the years and now pose a hazard in the form of rusted metal which lies just below the surface of the water. The superstructure is breaking down and has been observed to move around with the currents and winter storm sets, so if it is observed in one position, the chances are it has moved since the previous year. Due to the kelp beds and underlying rock structure, it is extremely difficult to see the metal under the water from the crane, so when people jump off the crane in the water, they are risking serious injury.”
The majority of injuries are back injuries, with people either slipping down the steep rocky embankment and hitting the rocks below, says Spencer, or from jumping off the crane arm into the water and landing badly. The people in the water are then generally dragged back onto the rocks by their friends, worsening the casualties’ condition or causing further injuries. Other types of injuries, among many, include cardiac tamponade (pressure on the heart), bone fractures and concussion.
“The wreck is a generally difficult area to access as it requires a long hike from either Hout Bay over the back of Hangberg, or hiking from Sandy Bay along the coast. We have actually rescued more hikers from that area that have gotten lost in the rabbit warrens of pathways through the fynbos, and have ended up at the Bos400 rocks extremely dehydrated, than we have actually extricated injured patients from the wreck.
“That coastline is notoriously dangerous for hikers that are not prepared and often groups of hikers get stranded by the tide, without the proper clothing or enough water, and become dehydrated and hypothermic. The extraction options usually involve sending in a WASAR [water search and rescue] team to extract via hiking back over the mountains, or via sea. There are guided tours to the wreck site – or, at least there used to be. We have rescued one or two of these guided tour groups over the years from the area, either due to dehydration, or a member of the tour party has injured themselves and could not go on with the hike.”
Spencer appeals to the public to avoid the Bos400 wreck. “This wreck is extremely dangerous to access. Rather just avoid it altogether.”
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