At 03h23, Thursday, 12th March, NSRI Simonstown, NSRI Gordons Bay and NSRI Hout Bay duty crews were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) reporting a man overboard the Table Bay fishing trawler CONQUISTADOR, approximately 40 nautical miles South of Cape Point.
It appears that the fisherman, 51, from Khayelitsha, had gone on stern watch at 01h00 and was discovered to be missing at 01h59. The alarm was raised with a VHF radio distress call to Telkom Maritime Radio Services at 02h04 and a fellow fishing trawler, KARIBA, joined CONQUISTADOR in a search for the missing fisherman.
3 deep-sea rescue craft were launched. NSRI Simonstown launched SPIRIT OF SAFMARINE III, NSRI Gordons Bay launched JACK RILEY and NSRI Hout Bay launched NADINE GORDIMER.
Despite an extensive search throughout Thursday morning no sign of the missing fisherman has been found.
The fisherman is missing at sea and is presumed to have drowned.
The trawler docked in her home port in Table Bay at 22h00 on Thursday night and Police have opened an investigation in conjunction with SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority).
