Emergency Contact Numbers

[Jason vL]

Good morning All

New to FF and having been out in the rivers (cape streams) ive wondered what the emergency procedure would be and contact numbers?

Obviously the usual is done in letting the missus know what time she can expect me back from my trip, I have given her the Mountain and Sea Rescue contact: 021 937 0300

are there any other numbers besides that and CPS that she should alert should I one day get injured out there?

Cheers

Jason

[Korrie]

Make sure she knows exactly which beat you will be fishing.
I have 2 friends that my other half will contact should I not get home.
She knows which river and which beat to start the search.
It does not help to tell her Elands Pad, it could be EP1 or EP4.
You could be holed up in the cave at EP3 and they are flying overhead with a chopper, looking for you.

[Jason vL]

Make sure she knows exactly which beat you will be fishing.
I have 2 friends that my other half will contact should I not get home.
She knows which river and which beat to start the search.
It does not help to tell her Elands Pad, it could be EP1 or EP4.
You could be holed up in the cave at EP3 and they are flying overhead with a chopper, looking for you.

She always knows what beat I am on and I always leave the info loaded on a webpage and supply GPS co-ordinates where I can.

[meandmetoo]

is this in light of the recent helicopter rescue?

[Korrie]

I had a couple of really close calls.
the worst was on Smalblaar 4 or 5,
The river was flowing VERY High.
I "stepped into a piece of water" that I assumed to be 3 feet deep.
Turned out to be more than 1,5 meter and the river took me.
I was washed down stream, under HUGE boulders and pop up 15 meters down stream.
I could have been washed under those big boulders, and got stuck, never to be seen until I was in pieces, or the water level dropped down in 5 months time.
It happened so fast that before I could panick or try to grab anything, I was down under, gone and back up.
Only awhile later did I comprehend the full extent of what happened to me.

[Korrie]

Another time, 16 years ago, I just returned from NZ and was introduced to night fishing and swinging big elk hair caddis, across and down.
We wondered if it will work in SA, Holsloot river here we come, Beat 5/6 had flat runs, with little riffels, No where out, vertical cliffs and we are fishing on a pitch black river.
The very light caddis on the surface in the pitch black catches fish, upstream dry and Down and across, we are so excited, until we have to get out.
As you climb thru the riverine bush, the headlight shines against the directly infront of you, 30to 50cm, beyond that you cannot see, so easy a to get a branch stuck into your leg etc, then we hit the cliff, in the best of daylights, it is perilous with sliding rocks etc, now in the pitch black, trying to get up. We made it, but both agreed NEVER AGAIN.

[meandmetoo]

I had a couple of really close calls.
the worst was on Smalblaar 4 or 5,
The river was flowing VERY High.
I "stepped into a piece of water" that I assumed to be 3 feet deep.
Turned out to be more than 1,5 meter and the river took me.
I was washed down stream, under HUGE boulders and pop up 15 meters down stream.
I could have been washed under those big boulders, and got stuck, never to be seen until I was in pieces, or the water level dropped down in 5 months time.
It happened so fast that before I could panick or try to grab anything, I was down under, gone and back up.
Only awhile later did I comprehend the full extent of what happened to me.

Another time, 16 years ago, I just returned from NZ and was introduced to night fishing and swinging big elk hair caddis, across and down.
We wondered if it will work in SA, Holsloot river here we come, Beat 5/6 had flat runs, with little riffels, No where out, vertical cliffs and we are fishing on a pitch black river.
The very light caddis on the surface in the pitch black catches fish, upstream dry and Down and across, we are so excited, until we have to get out.
As you climb thru the riverine bush, the headlight shines against the directly infront of you, 30to 50cm, beyond that you cannot see, so easy a to get a branch stuck into your leg etc, then we hit the cliff, in the best of daylights, it is perilous with sliding rocks etc, now in the pitch black, trying to get up. We made it, but both agreed NEVER AGAIN.

Both very perilous stories. The top one is part of the reason I'm sh!t scared of waders, one wrong step or miscalculation and it could be tragic. Glad you're safe Korrie

[Jason vL]

Both very perilous stories. The top one is part of the reason I'm sh!t scared of waders, one wrong step or miscalculation and it could be tragic. Glad you're safe Korrie

those are some scary stories. main reason for asking the question is due to me being new to FF and finding it so difficult to find contact numbers or procedure for emergencies. most of us have these details stuck on fridge for home emergencies but nothing for when you out in the bush. Ive only been on the rivers a few times however the last few with fast flowing high waters has made me wonder about what to do. Ive made a home made wading stick and put it to good use for balance and for determining depth before committing with my feet and found it has helped a great deal.

[Korrie]

Both very perilous stories. The top one is part of the reason I'm sh!t scared of waders, one wrong step or miscalculation and it could be tragic. Glad you're safe Korrie

No need to worry about waders.
I have fallen into Lakensvlei in the middle of winter, in the middle of the dam with waders and the waders helped. I have been washed down a BIG Swedish river and the waders was a help. The most important thing with a wader is wear a GOOD WADING BELT that will prevent water coming in to deep.

Some misconceptions about wader, which I have disproved and lived to tell the story.
a. Waders do not make you sink.
b. Waders that fill up do not make you sink. water inside the wader and water outside the wader is the EXACT SAME WEIGHT.
c. With a good wading belt, there is some air trapped in the wader that will help you stay afloat for a minute or 2 longer, before it is forced out by the water.
d. A wader don't just "FILL UP WITH WATER" when you fall into the water with a wader, there is water pressure from the water outside that forces the wader against your body.
e. The only way a wader can fill up, is if it is open around your chest you are facing into the oncoming water and the water flows in.
f. If you do get water in, as mentioned above, it will be only a relative small amount up to the wading belt.
h. If you have a rain jacket on, over the wader, (always wear a rain jacket over a wader, otherwise the rain will run into the wader. I have seen this on a couple of occasions) The rain jacket will be forced against the wader by the water pressure and very little water will come in. (In Sweden, I had such an experience, I washed about 200 meters down a big river, with waders on and rainjacket over the wader and then my fly vest. By the time I got out, got out of all my gear to wring out the water and flip the waders inside out to get rid of the water, a total of about half a liter or water was all that came out. yes, it was very cold, the water was 7 degrees and air temp 8 degrees, but no problem.
i. The air that is trapped by the wading belt does give you a bit of extra floatation, until all is expelled by the force of the water pushing from the outside onto the wader. The tighter the wader belt, the longer the "air in the wader will last"

Your biggest enemy is PANIC.