NSRI: PE fisherman still missing
No sign has been found of a fisherman believed to have fallen overboard from a fishing vessel anchored off the Port Elizabeth harbour, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Sunday afternoon.
NSRI Port Elizabeth deputy station commander Justin Erasmus said duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) at 5am on Sunday morning following reports of a man overboard from the fishing vessel Derick, at anchorage about three nautical miles off-shore of the harbour.
The sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV was launched and a police helicopter joined in an extensive sea, air, and shore search but no sign of the missing local fisherman had been found. Police had opened an investigation and a police dive unit would continue an ongoing search operation, he said.
“It appears that the fisherman may have gone overboard without a life jacket, and went overboard for undetermined reasons while the vessel was at anchorage. All life jackets on the chokka fishing boat are accounted for.
“The fisherman may have gone overboard in the early hours of the morning after being noticed missing by fellow crew who began to search while raising the alarm,” Erasmus said.