Cape Town – The skipper of a Cape Town harbour tugboat was found dead inside his vessel – 24 hours after it capsized.
A massive search and rescue operation was launched on Saturday afternoon after captain Steven Lategan’s launch boat tipped over 300 metres offshore from Table Bay Harbour.
Lategan, 63, from Kraaifontein, was the captain of a Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) service boat, and had been working at the Cape Town harbour for 45 years, his daughter Adele Coetzee told the Daily Voice on Sunday.
His body was discovered at sea, inside the boat’s engine room on Sunday afternoon.
Two other crew members were rescued.
Authorities are still trying to establish the cause of the incident and the cause of death.
His upset son, Llewellyn Lategan, believes his dad could have been found earlier and questioned why authorities did not search the craft sooner.
“We feel disgusted by the way Transnet has handled the situation. They had the boat since 6pm [on Saturday], but didn’t think to search it,” Llewellyn said Sunday.
“We have been chased away from the scene on several occasions and were told we are hampering investigations.
“There is no one to answer any of my questions, the only response we’re getting is, ‘We’ll get back to you’.”
“I pleaded with them to look in the engine room, where they found his body, so many times.
“I had a private diver with me [on Saturday night] to look for my father, but the police chased us away from the scene.
“I even offered to pay for a crane out of my own pocket to lift the boat for the search to carry on and they blatantly refused.”
Captain Steven Lategan’s launch boat tipped over 300 metres offshore from Table Bay Harbour. Picture: Supplied
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) says their Table Bay duty crew was activated by the TNPA just before noon on Saturday after the 13.95 metre service launch Troupand capsized with three crew on board.
A joint rescue operation was launched, including the NSRI and various other government and private services.
Crew from a Chinese fishing vessel spotted two survivors, men in the 50s, and rescued them, NSRI Table Bay station commander Quentin Botha said.
They were transported to hospital in a stable condition and were expected to make a full recovery.
Botha said rescue swimmers searched for Steven.
“[They] conducted a free dive perimeter search and were placed on the upturned hull to hear for any feedback while knocking but no feedback was received.”
The search continued on Sunday until the boat was lifted out of the water and authorities found Steven’s body in the engine room.
Adele described her dad, an engaged father of two, as a workaholic who knew the sea inside out.
“He was supposed to retire in September this year, but I don’t know about that because he was married to the sea,” she says.
“My dad was always at work, he spent little time at home and when he did, he loved to watch rugby and cricket.
“They extended his working hours because of the permanent shortage of staff in the harbour.
“They worked 24 hours on shift and 12 hours off duty. But I can say that this didn’t happen because my father was tired.”
She says she and her children were still in shock.
“You won’t believe me, but on Friday I sent [my father] a heartfelt SMS. I said thank you for everything you mean to me.”
Police opened an investigation and the SA Maritime Safety Authority would investigate the incident, Botha said.