Despite an extensive sea, air and shoreline search, there is still no sign of a missing fisherman after a vessel ran aground on the rocky Gouritz coastline on the South Cape Coast, killing four people.
The NSRI said its Mossel Bay team was alerted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services at about 1.50am on Tuesday of a mayday distress call received on VHF marine radio.
“Very little information could be determined from the distress call other than it was suspected to have been broadcast from the Gouritz area,” the NSRI said.
“It was undetermined what the vessel’s name was and undetermined where exactly the vessel was nor the number of persons on the vessel could be determined.”
While all efforts to reach the vessel by VHF marine radio failed, two local fishing vessels at sea in that area initiated a search while Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) monitored and attempted to gather more information in cooperation with Telkom Maritime Radio Services.
An NSRI Mossel Bay rescue vehicle and Mossel Bay fire and rescue services responded to the Gouritz River Mouth and initiated a search along the shore line.
Local Gouritz Community Policing Forum members joined the search.
“During the search the NSRI rescue vehicle crew, 5km West of Gouritz River Mouth, happened upon a local fishing trawler washed up on rocks at about 3am where the skipper of the casualty vessel was recovered from rocks in shallow surf.
“He claimed he had been conducting CPR on one of his six crew men but that area of the rocks was by now swamped by the high tide.
“One crewman could be heard shouting for help from the casualty fishing vessel that was badly damaged and was being battered by heavy waves.”
An NSRI rescue swimmer recovered the crewman from the fishing vessel in rough seas and the skipper and crewman were treated for hypothermia.
“While the local fishing boat that was searching offshore, radioed Telkom Maritime Radio Services to alert to the casualty fishing vessels location, an NSRI member drove 3km to reach cellphone signal to raise the alarm and to request additional rescue services and additional NSRI resources.”
During the ongoing search, four bodies were recovered from the surf line. One man was reported missing and a police dive unit, the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, along with a number of rescue crafts were searching for him. “The causes of them running aground on rocks West of Gouritz River Mouth remains undetermined.
A search is continuing for the missing fisherman,” the NSRI said.
“(The) South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) has initiated an investigation while police have opened an inquest.”
Cape Times