Five kayakers, including German tourists, rescued after dense fog ordeal off Cape Town coast
Despite the ordeal, all five escaped serious injury and were reported to be in good spirits.
A group of five kayakers, including three German tourists, were rescued off the Cape Town coast on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, after becoming lost in thick fog and drifting over a mile offshore. The incident occurred around 8:50am, when one of the paddlers activated an emergency alert via the NSRI's SafeTRX safety app. The rescue teams were quickly mobilized after the distress alert was received.
The group, which included two local women aged 60 and 59, and three German tourists aged 35, 26, and 21, had set out from the Three Anchor Bay slipway earlier that day. They became disoriented in dense fog and drifted offshore without knowing which way was land. The rescue teams, including the Colorpress Rescuer from an NSRI training crew, responded promptly.
Local operators, who had cancelled their own excursions due to poor visibility, provided additional support. The kayakers were found about 1.3 nautical miles offshore near Clifton's Saunders Rocks, suffering from mild hypothermia. All were treated and their kayaks recovered. The rescued paddlers were taken to the Oceana Power Boat Club and then driven back to their vehicles at Three Anchor Bay.
No injuries were reported, and the group was said to be in good spirits. The NSRI emphasized the importance of using the SafeTRX app to avoid such situations, as it can be crucial in emergencies where groups can become separated at sea due to adverse weather conditions.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
