Five sea kayakers had a nasty Tuesday morning off Cape Town when thick fog swallowed the coastline and left them paddling blind, more than a nautical mile from land. All five were rescued by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) after one of the group triggered an emergency alert via the SafeTRX safety app at around 8.50am.
The paddlers had launched from the Three Anchor Bay slipway that morning. The group was a mix: two South African women aged 59 and 60, and three German tourists aged 21, 26 and 35. Once the fog rolled in, they lost their sense of direction entirely and couldn't tell which way led back to shore. To their credit, they stayed together while waiting for help.
The rescue became something of a two-part operation. Local kayak tour operator Atlantic Adventures had already cancelled its outings because of the poor visibility, but its team joined the search anyway. They spotted three kayakers near Granger Bay and escorted them safely to shore — only to realise they were a different group, not the ones who had raised the alarm. Meanwhile an NSRI training crew, out preparing for routine exercises, launched the rescue craft Colorpress Rescuer, with Table Bay and Bakoven station crews on standby.
The actual missing five were eventually found about 1.3 nautical miles off Clifton, near Saunders Rocks. Everyone was brought aboard, treated for mild hypothermia, and ferried via the Oceana Power Boat Club back to their cars at Three Anchor Bay. Their kayaks were recovered too, and despite the cold-water ordeal, nobody was seriously hurt.
The takeaway for anyone planning to paddle in Cape Town: conditions on the Atlantic can change fast, and fog can erase even a familiar coastline in minutes. The NSRI is urging all paddlers to have the free SafeTRX app on their phones — it lets rescuers pinpoint your position the moment something goes wrong, which is precisely what saved this group. If you're renting a kayak or joining a tour as a visitor, it's worth asking whether your guide carries tracking and communication gear, and checking the forecast for wind and visibility before setting out. Cold water, sudden fog and strong south-easterly winds make this stretch of coast beautiful but unforgiving.
For travellers, the story is a reminder rather than a deterrent — guided kayaking off the Atlantic Seaboard remains a brilliant way to see dolphins, seals and the Twelve Apostles from the water. Just go with an outfit that takes safety tech seriously.
