‘Spirit of Kenton’ launches for Easter

The new NSRI Kenton rescue craft, Spirit of Kenton, was launched this week and the NSRI will be operating from Middle Beach during the Easter weekend, 7-10 April 2023. Picture: JO WILMOT

The new NSRI Kenton rescue craft, Spirit of Kenton, was launched this week and the NSRI will be operating from Middle Beach during the Easter weekend, 7-10 April 2023. The news was shared by the Rotary Club of Kenton-on-Sea, who have been behind fundraising efforts to establish an NSRI satellite base at the seaside resort.

Kenton has seen several emergency incidents in the past three years. Most recent were the tragic New Year’s Day drownings of four children.

The response time from the NSRI’s Station 11 in Port Alfred to Kenton-on-Sea was 55 minutes to launch a craft from Station 11 travelling by sea; 15 minutes travelling by road supported by local emergency services and 60 minutes travelling by road supported by local emergency services but towing a vessel.

In mid-2022, Kenton’s Rotarians saw the need for quicker access to the volunteer-based rescue organisation’s services. In November 2022 they launched a fundraising campaign to establish a local satellite base.

By December, they were able to hand over a cheque for R500 000 to the NSRI’s Juan Pretorius – around half the amount needed to establish the base which would service Kenton, Boknesstrand, Cannon Rocks, the Kariega River, Bushman’s River and Boknes lagoon, and inland dams in the area.

In their Facebook post announcing the launch of the new rescue boat, the Kenton Rotarians said, “This is all due to the amazing generosity and good spirit of all our donors who have an interest in Kenton, Bushmans, Boknes and Cannon Rocks.  In excess of R1 million has been raised to date to open the NSRI satellite base in Kenton. We asked and our community answered, so it is appropriate that the new NSRI Sea Rescue Jet Rib Boat be named the Spirit of Kenton.”

Today on the Sunshine Coast was a hot 25C with a 25-knot wind coming through in the afternoon. That’s halfway up the Beaufort Scale, which classifies 22-27 knots (38-49km/h) as a Strong Breeze and is carrying with it the 10mm rain predicted for a cooler Saturday.

Sunday is predicted to be cool and calm with very little wind and a maximum temperature of 21C and 5mm oif rain.

On Monday, says the South African Weather Service, the wind will pick up again on the Sunshine Coast (up to 20 knots), there may be a little rain (3mm) and the temperatre is predicted to range from 14C to 20C.