Mpumalanga
1Min
South Africa
Dec 30, 2025
Four men were rescued in a high-risk operation after their ski-boat became trapped at the edge of the Grootdraai Dam spillway near Standerton, Mpumalanga, narrowly avoiding a 40-metre plunge into the Vaal River.
Four men were rescued in a high-risk operation after their ski-boat became trapped at the edge of the Grootdraai Dam spillway near Standerton, Mpumalanga, narrowly avoiding a 40-metre plunge into the Vaal River.
The men from Kinross, Scottburgh on the KZN South Coast, Potchefstroom and Standerton.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said the incident unfolded shortly after 7pm on Monday when police divers raised the alarm that the men were clinging to their boat in fast-flowing water at the dam wall.
NSRI crews from Witbank and Gauteng were immediately activated, travelling more than 140km each to reach the scene. Multiple emergency services, including the police, fire and rescue teams, and EMS, were already on site but were unable to access the men due to the dangerous conditions.
According to the NSRI, the men are believed to have suffered mechanical failure on their ski-boat, causing it to drift uncontrollably towards the spillway.
In a crucial intervention, officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation opened three sluice gates at the spillway, reducing the overflow pressure and preventing the boat from being swept over the edge.
“This decision played a critical role in keeping the casualties alive,” the NSRI said. NSRI Witbank station commander Travis Clack led the water rescue, launching a rescue craft several kilometres upstream and carefully navigating towards the spillway in strong winds and heavy water flow.
Faced with a narrow margin for error, the rescue team opted for a calculated approach, throwing a rescue line with a buoy to the four men, who were all wearing life jackets and clinging to the stern of their boat.
“We realised we would only get one chance. We instructed all four men to grab the line and hold on tight,”Clack said.
The rescue craft then reversed away from the spillway, pulling the men into safer water before bringing them aboard. All four men were safely rescued and assessed by paramedics. None sustained injuries.
The ski-boat remains trapped at the edge of the weir, with authorities monitoring the situation. The NSRI commended the swift coordination between rescue teams and water authorities, saying the operation prevented a potentially fatal tragedy.
