Cape Town - A fisherman has been washed off rocks at Voelklip, Herolds Bay, the National Sea Rescue Institute said in a statement.
NSRI Wilderness deputy station commander Torsten Henschell said the search was activated at 19h18 on Monday. “NSRI Wilderness, the SA Police Services, WC Government Health EMS and George Fire and Rescue Services responded”, he said.
The fisherman was fishing from rocks with friends when he was swept into the sea by large swells.
Henschell said the man, “believed to be a strong swimmer” was encouraged by friends to swim away from the jagged rocks towards Herolds Bay. But, they lost sight of him as night fell.
Despite an extensive search “including the setting off of illuminating flares, as well as search lights and shore patrols” he has still not been found. Community members also helped in the search, using their private car headlights to illuminate the shoreline.
“NSRI Mossel Bay launched their sea rescue craft, Rescue 15, which brought additional spotlights to aid in the search from the sea side, but despite the extensive sea and shoreline search no sign of the fisherman has been found” Henschell said.
The search continued on Tuesday.
In another incident, in Melkbosstrand, NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said “during a routine meeting at our sea rescue base in Melkbosstrand, we were approached by a lady claiming her boyfriend, a 51 year old male from Tableview, had launched to paddle on his paddle-ski, at Melkbosstrand, at around 1pm but he had failed to return and his vehicle remained parked at a Melkbosstrand beach front parking”.
Lambinon said the sea rescue craft Rotary's Gift and the police were activated and a shoreline and sea search was launched. But, soon after the search started police saw the man return to the parked vehicle.
“According to the man he had been swept out to sea by strong winds. He estimates he had been swept about 5 km out to sea but he had later been able to reach the shore about 3 km North of the Koeberg Power Station.
He had dragged his paddle-ski along the beach until he reached the security fence at Koeberg Power Station where he abandoned his paddle-ski and walked along the face until he reached the Koeberg Power Station security fence”
He was given a lift to his car by security guards and his paddle ski was recovered on Tuesday morning.
African News Agency