In April 2026, eleven call-outs were received: two injuries, one motor vehicle accident (MVA) and eight medical cases. The injuries involved a swimmer on the Silversands Beach and a fisherman at Sea Farm. Both were transported by ambulance to hospital. The MVA involved an OM tanker which went down an embankment on the R44 following a tyre blow out. All three patients required hospitalisation. They were taken to the Hermanus Mediclinic, one by CMC and two by Metro ambulance. The medical cases were assessed, five were transported by ER24 to hospitals, one was taken by a work colleague to OneHealth OEC, the remaining two were taken to hospital by the wife and daughter respectively.
Six of our first responders have been recertified as L3FA. The certificates need to be renewed every two years.
A big welcome to Kiegan Bailey who has joined our ranks. He was a combat medic and has renewed his L3FA. His joining came at the perfect time as it allowed us to continue operating with four teams.
Our sincere thanks for the donation of a red SwissWin backpack and a durable, weather proof first aid kit. The former has been used for our new patient monitor and the other items needed for patient assessments.
A huge thank you to Coleen Johnson and ER24 for donating an aluminium scoop stretcher. This has already been put to good use.
An important reminder to all, please have your medical aid information, a list of your current medication and medical history at hand as this greatly assists with patient assessments and handover to the ambulance services. We urge people to prominently display both the Erf number and street number on their property so that they can easily be found, particularly at night.
Any donation to BEST will be most welcome as we have ongoing expenses and need to replace some of our older items: ABSA, Betty’s Bay Ratepayers account 4066616439, Branch 632005, with BEST as the reference to ensure that your donation is used solely for our purpose. Many thanks to all those who have contributed, without your support we would not be able to provide a sustainable service.
The Emergency Number for BEST is 066 165 6061. Please save this number on your phone or have it readily available.
Rob Boyd