Cape Town - Whale watchers near Hermanus found a man floating in the water on Wednesday.
NSRI Hermanus duty crew were alerted via a call from a commercial whale watching vessel that they had come across a body adrift at sea about 1 nautical mile South of Hermanus Harbour.
NSRI Hermanus’ Jean le Roux said just after 5pm, police were alerted and the sea rescue craft Rotarian Burnett was launched.
“On arrival on the scene the body was located and recovered onto our sea rescue craft and brought to the Hermanus Harbour,” Le Roux said.
Police have opened an inquest.
Families of persons believed to be missing at sea in the vicinity have been asked to assist police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services with identification of the body.
This comes while fishing vessels continued to keep a lookout for a missing fisherman who fell overboard, South of Cape Point on Wednesday.
NSRI Simonstown station commander Darren Zimmerman said at 7:34pm, duty crew were activated following reports of a man overboard and missing from a fishing vessel 11 nautical miles South of Cape Point.
NSRI Simonstown and NSRI Hout Bay responded.
“The local fishing vessel that the fisherman had gone overboard from was engaged in a search and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre) had tasked another local fishing vessel to assist in the search.
“The fisherman had reportedly fallen overboard while they were laying fishing gear. The alarm was immediately raised and the skipper turned the vessel around and they had initiated a search,” Zimmerman said.
Two NSRI sea rescue craft joined the second fishing vessel in an extensive search operation.
“The crews of at least seven fishing vessels that were in the vicinity at the time were keeping a lookout for the missing fisherman,” Zimmerman said.
Despite an extensive search there was no sign of the man.
“Our NSRI Simonstown and NSRI Hout Bay sea rescue craft returned to base in the early hours of the morning and local fishing vessels are continuing to keep a lookout for the missing fisherman.
“The SA Police Services are notified and an investigation will be opened.
“Our thoughts are with the family and the fellow crew of the missing fisherman in this difficult time.”
Cape Times