Cape Town – A huge effort saw three fisherman rescued off Veldrift on the Cape West Coast on Tuesday after their crayfishing boat lost power and drifted out at sea.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Mykonos station commander Casper Frylinck said his station was alerted shortly after midnight by the family of a fishing crew who were reportedly out crayfishing on a boat and suspected to be off-shore between Veldrift and Elands Bay but overdue.
The family were not able to reach the crew by phone and family had started to look along the coast for the missing fishermen.
“The three fishermen, from Paternoster, on a five-metre crayfish dinghy, had launched at Paternoster to go crayfishing and eventually, during the early hours of the morning, they were reached by family by cellphone and they reported to be lost with motor failure and although safe on their boat they were adrift at sea.
“At 05h00, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to begin a search grid pattern identified by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) as the most likely area where the fishermen were. Communications were assisted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services.”
The SA Police Services also joined in the search and in comforting concerned family members in Paternoster.
“NSRI Mykonos launched the sea rescue craft Gemini rescuer II at Veldrift searching an area towards Elands Bay and back towards Veldrift but no sign of the fishermen could be found and it appeared from cellphone communications with the fishermen that they had lost direction and could not pinpoint where they were.
“As the search progressed without result, MRCC authorised an SA Air Force 22 Squadron Oryx helicopter accompanied by NSRI ASR rescue swimmers which joined in the search.”
Frylinck said: “During the search the fishing boat with all three fishermen onboard was located 6.4 nautical miles off-shore of Veldrift by the helicopter crew.
“NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed from the helicopter into the water and in relays all three fishermen, a 24-year-old skipper and his two 26-year-old crewmen, were hoisted into the helicopter and they were airlifted to shore and then transported by NSRI to Paternoster where they were reunited with their relieved families.”
According to Frylinch the men were not injured but provincial health EMS paramedics were on hand to check on the condition of the three fishermen.
The NSRI Mykonos sea rescue craft towed the fishing boat to Paternoster and no further assistance was required.
“All services involved are commended for the effort employed to successfully find all three fishermen safe today.”
African News Agency
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