Quentin Botha, NSRI Table Bay station commander, said:
At 11h44, Saturday, 04th February, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to respond to off-shore of the Port of Table Bay Port breakwater to the TNPA service launch Troupand, 13.95 meters in length, capsized approximately 300 meters off-shore of the breakwater with 3 males onboard.
NSRI Table Bay dispatched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom and Spirit of Day and a Police Dive Unit, Fire and Rescue Services Dive Unit and WC Government Health EMS Rescue Dive Unit, EMS ambulance, Generic Paramedics ambulance, ER24 ambulance services, Life Healthcare response paramedics, Metro Police, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Marine Unit and the SA Police Services responded.
Crew from the fishing vessel Jin Syi Shiang, that were first on the scene, threw life rings to two survivors, two males believed to be aged in their 50’s and believed to be from Cape Town, and both men were rescued onto the TNPA working boat Blue Jay that had responded to assist.
Both survivors were brought to Jetty 1 at the Victoria and Alfred Basin aboard the TNPA working boat Blue Jay where paramedics treated the two men for shock and for non-fatal drowning symptoms and they were transported to hospital by ER24 ambulances in stable conditions and they are expected to fully recover.
On arrival at the capsized vessel NSRI Table Bay rescue swimmers were deployed into the water and they initiated a search for the only remaining crew member, the skipper, age 63, from Cape Town, who was reported to be missing and NSRI rescue swimmers conducted a free dive perimeter search and NSRI rescue swimmers were placed on the upturned hull to hear for any feedback while knocking on the upturned hull but no feedback was received.
An anchor line was secured to the vessel by NSRI rescue swimmers to prevent the casualty vessel from drifting.
Police divers, Fire and Rescue Services rescue divers and EMS rescue divers were transported to the scene aboard sea rescue craft and they initiated a scuba dive search and penetrated the cabins and hull but no sign of the missing man was found. Some areas of the inside of the vessel could not be reached.
A Police rigid inflatable boat joined the operation.
The rescue divers scuba dive search was then concentrated from the area of where the vessel had drifted to (approximately half a nautical mile off-shore of the breakwater) to where the initial capsizing took place (300 meters off-shore of the breakwater) and the surrounding areas in the vicinity were searched with no sign of the missing man despite an extensive search.
The TNPA working boat Blue Jay will tow the capsized vessel into Port where she will be secured and righted in an ongoing operation and searched further by Police and the search and recovery operation is being headed by the Police Dive Unit.
Police have opened an investigation and SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) will investigate the incident.
Four men rescued from capsized boat after man swims to shore to get help