NSRI file
A cruise up the Kowie River at Port Alfred ended in a dramatic boat crash and rescue after the skipper encountered a swarm of bees and veered off course, crashing into the riverbank and trees about eight kilometres upstream.
The National Sea Rescue Institute said the drama unfolded on Thursday afternoon when a private boat raised the alarm.
NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said people from two other boats tried to assist but he said the bees were aggressive and stinging the casualties while posing a threat to the good Samaritans trying to help.
He said Port Alfred coxswain Keryn van der Walt, who was on her private boat on the river at the time, responded immediately with her crew, while the NSRI Port Alfred duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha and responded.
Lambinon said despite the presence of the bees and the risk of being stung, Van der Walt managed to extricate two of the casualties from the craft.
He said a 21-year-old woman from Makanda was treated for serious injuries and multiple bee stings causing anaphylaxis, while a 43-year-old woman from Port Alfred was also treated for anaphylaxis.
“On our Rescue 11 Alpha arriving on the extricated a 49-year-old male and a 20-year-old male, both from Port Alfred, despite the risk of being stung by the bees that were still present on the scene,” Lambinon said.
He said the crew of the casualty boat described “a large swarm of bees that descended on them immediately starting to sting them multiple times while they were underway on the river.”
Lambinon said three of the four people were taken to hospital for further treatment while the 49-year-old man required no further medical care.
