Update
WITSAND NEWS - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Witsand Port Beaufort has been activated on Friday 6 April 00:30 following reports of a red distress flare observed in the vicinity of the San Sebastion Bay.
Theo Erasmus, NSRI Witsand Port Beaufort station commander, said:
"A search of the slip-way launching sites were conducted to see if there are any trailers parked that may indicate any craft not returned. The sea rescue craft Breede Rescuer was launched to conduct a sea search of the bay area.
"Despite an extensive search of the bay nothing was found and there remains no report of anyone or any craft overdue or missing. Breede Rescuer returned to base and the station stood down during the early hours of the morning and the origin and the reasons for the red distress flare activation remains a mystery."
It is illegal to set off distress flares without reason of distress, or Chinese lanterns as they look just like distress flares.
Erasmus said, "If you become aware of either been set off please contact NSRI immediately as somebody will most probably see it and then report it to us. If we can determine the source it will save as an unnecessary activation and launch."
NSRI appeals to the public to not set off sky lanterns - especially along the coast where sky lanterns floating in the air can be mistaken for distress flares.
Craig Lambinon, NSRI spokesperson said: "Eye-witness reports of distress flares sighted around the coastline require the NSRI and the emergency services to launch a full scale search and rescue operation without hesitation and even when the sighting may later be confirmed to have been a sky lanterns a search operation can continue for quite some time until it can be absolutely confirmed that no persons or craft at sea may be in any difficulty. The firing of flares without reasons of distress is illegal and punishable by law."
Sky lanterns pose the additional danger of being a fire hazard and this year that risk is greater because drought conditions have rendered open areas to be drier and more susceptible to fire than normal.
In cities like Cape Town setting off lanterns is illegal.
Read a previous article: False alarm or flare?
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