Big Wave News

Red Bull BWC Surfers Rescue Distressed Workers from Sea

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 18 August, 2006 : - -  Surfers rescued four construction workers after their small boat capsized in big swells in the Hout Hay harbour on Wednesday. The four men, employees of Civil & Coastal Construction, were extending the northern mole at the entrance to the harbour when their boat capsized on Tuesday.

Strong swells pushed the boat carrying Richard Mawakasa, Sibongile Gqubushe, Tom Mkoko and Lungile Mpotya up against the harbour wall. Two of the men jumped out of the boat and held onto pillars near the wall. Two remained aboard. The construction workers were spotted by four surfers on two jetskis as well as photographer Alan van Geysen and Marine Scene owner Grant Spooner, who were on a boat.

Spooner, a marine operations specialist involved in the Red Bull Big Wave Challenge, said they were returning to the harbour after a day of surfing when they saw the boat upside down in the water. "Swells were coming into the harbour strongly and the boat squashed up against the wall" said Spooner.

The surfers - Grant "Twiggy" Baker, Allistar Brown, Greg Long and Jevan Le Roux, all contestants in the recent Big Wave challenge - went to the workers' rescue. They managed to get the four onto the jetskis.

Read the full article by By Zara Nicholson at int.iol.co.za

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Source: int.iol.co.za

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