Eighty-two passengers, crew evacuated from barge in ...

Eighty-two passengers and crew of a cruise barge were safely evacuated to shore in a mass rescue operation on Hartbeespoort Dam on Saturday afternoon.

Arthur Crewe, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Hartbeespoort Dam station commander, commended the captain and crew of The Alba, of Harties Boat Company, for their efforts to ensure the health and safety of their passengers.

This after their cruise barge became disabled when the motor propellers became entangled in old discarded fishing nets and water hyacinth.

“NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam duty crew were activated at 3.17pm to assist in a mass evacuation of passengers from the barge.

“After the barge motors failed when the barge motor propellers were disabled from old discarded fishing nets and natural dam debris that was floating semi-submerged in the water, the hyacinth had surrounded the barge preventing a simple tow to shore,” Crewe said.

The NSRI rescue craft Sea Legs and the strategic response rescue unit (SRU) rescue craft Rescue 1 responded.

The captain and his nine crew members ensured all 72 passengers were secured into life-jackets, well hydrated and briefed on procedures to follow.

Using the NSRI and SRU rescue crafts in nine relays, all 72 passengers and 10 crew were transferred and safely evacuated to shore despite the two rescue craft and the rescue operation hampered by the dense hyacinth that caused slow progress.

“There were no injuries and everyone involved maintained high spirits throughout the operation. The operation was completed at 5.30pm.”

About an hour after the completion of the evacuation, the dense hyacinth that surrounded the barge separated sufficiently in natural drift to allow the SRU craft to tow the barge safely to shore without incident.

TimesLIVE