Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown station commander said: “ON 11 July at 13h51 the NSRI Simonstown duty crew were activated following reports of a commercial fishing ski-boat sinking off-shore of Buffels Bay, Cape Point with 4 men on-board.
We launched our NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III and dispatched our NSRI rescue vehicle to the scene.
[ad#Google Adsense 234×60]On arrival on-scene it was confirmed that all 4 occupants of the semi-submerged 16 foot commercial fishing ski-boat Mako had been safely transferred from their own boat onto the fishing trawler Starlight and they were not injured. Starlight brought all 4 men, Skipper Charles De Long, 49, from Mitchell’s Plein, his brother and crewman Andrew, 54, from Steenberg, crewman Ivan Sauls, 54, from Steenberg and crewman Bunny Lucas, 51, from Mitchell’s Plein, to Simonstown harbour.
Maritime Radio Services broadcast an ‘all ships alert’ warning of the potential hazard, to other craft, in the area of the semi-submerged ski-boat.
According to the skipper of Mako they were fishing at anchor off-shore of Buffels Bay when their boat appeared to get heavier in the water to the point where water was lapping over the transam into their boat and they requested the nearby fishing trawler Starlight to pick them up as their boat appeared to be sinking.
All 4 men, wearing life-jackets, were transferred from their own boat onto Starlight while the NSRI were responding to the scene.
Starlight brought the 4 men safely into Simonstown harbour while the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III towed the casualty craft, semi-submerged, safely into Simonstown harbour where it has been successfully recovered.
Maritime Radio Services have cancelled their ‘all ships alert’ warning.”
The cause of the craft Mako becoming semi-submerged has not been officially determined.
SAMSA (The South African Maritime Safety Authority) have been informed.
