Cape Town - NSRI Simonstown duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) at 9pm on Tuesday night following a request for assistance from a Fish Hoek man on a small recreational dinghy reporting to be in difficulty with motor failure off-shore of Simonstown.
NSRI Simonstown station commander, Darren Zimmerman, said that the man had raised the alarm by cellphone.
"He had launched earlier in the day at the Simonstown Municipal Jetty to go fishing on the small dinghy with a 15 horse power motor just outside of Simonstown harbour.
"At some point he decided to motor to Fish Hoek but after the small outboard motor flooded he had tried to row ashore but a stiff breeze swept him out to sea beyond Roman Rock lighthouse and by nightfall, despite ongoing attempts to row to shore and not making any headway, and having been adrift for a few hours and now well into the night he raised the alarm using the last of his battery power on his cellphone and he was able to give some idea of where he was," Zimmerman explained.
The sea rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III and Spirit of Surfski II were launched and NSRI Simonstown coastwatchers deployed from heights along the Simonstown coast to look out for the fisherman.
"Following a search aided by the man flashing the light a small torch he was located between 4 and 5 nautical miles off-shore East South East of Roman Rock Lighthouse and he was rescued onto the sea rescue craft, his dinghy was recovered, and he was brought safely ashore where he required no further assistance," Zimmerman added.
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