Body of missing fisherman found in False Bay
The body of the missing fisherman who had been on a snoek fishing boat that capsized off Gordon’s Bay, on the north-eastern corner of False Bay, has been found, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Sunday.
During an ongoing search operation on Sunday for the fisherman missing since the boat capsized on Saturday night, the upturned hull was located drifting semi-submerged off-shore of Macassar in False Bay, NRSI spokesman Craig Lambinon said.
“A private boat had come across the drifting capsized casualty boat and they led the search party to the location off-shore of Macassar Beach. NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed to investigate underneath the upturned hull and the body of the missing fisherman was located trapped in lines,” he said.
A police dive team assisted by Cape Town fire and rescue services divers were summoned to the scene and they scuba-dived underneath the capsized hull and freed the body.
“All of the emergency services that responded and assisted in this extensive operation are commended for their efforts. The emergency services have expressed sincerest condolences to the families and colleagues of the two deceased fishermen,” Lambinon said.
Three fisherman who had also been on the capsized boat were rescued and the body of another was recovered by the NSRI on Saturday night.
Gordon’s Bay NSRI Station Nine deputy commander Edward Russouw said earlier the base was alerted at 9.22pm on Saturday night by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports of red distress flares fired in the vicinity off-shore of Harbour Island, Gordon’s Bay.
The sea rescue craft Spirit of Surfski II was launched and the SA Police Service and Gordon’s Bay Security, and private ambulance services also responded to standby at NSRI Gordon’s Bay sea rescue base.
A sea search commenced in a gale-force south-easterly on-shore wind and a torch light was spotted flashing in the distance. On arrival on the scene, almost a nautical mile off-shore of Harbour Island, the NSRI crew located a capsized snoek fishing boat with three men clinging to the upturned hull. They were holding on to the body of another man.
The body and the three fishermen were brought onto the sea rescue craft and taken ashore. Paramedics treated the three survivors for hypothermia, but they did not require hospitalisation. The body of the dead fisherman was taken into the care of police and the health department’s forensic pathology service.
Russouw said the survivors confirmed that a fifth fisherman, wearing a life-jacket, had drifted away from the upturned boat in the strong winds.
A shoreline search commenced in the hope that the missing fisherman would be swept ashore in the strong winds. The Western Cape health emergency rescue service (EMS), Cape Town fire and rescue service, law enforcement marine unit, and disaster risk management operations responded with lighting vehicles and extra personnel to help in a shoreline search and to light up the shoreline.
The extensive shoreline search included emergency services using tactical lighting equipment and tactical vehicles to illuminate the shore while rescuers searched along the shoreline in among rocks and shallow surf. A police dive unit was also placed on alert.
The surviving fishermen had confirmed that they had been returning from a day fishing and it was suspected that the strong winds contributed to their boat capsizing. They were all from the Strand and close friends.