Darius van Niekerk, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said; “At 00h08 on Sunday, 4 September 2011 our NSRI Mykonos volunteer duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports to Police of a 6 meter Catamaran Cabin boat capsized at Spreeu Walle, between Mykonos and the Saldanha Bay Iron Ore Jetty, and two of the 4 people reported to be involved were suspected to be injured.
“A couple, aged in their 30’s, Leon Greeff and Natalie Stewart-Smit, reported to police that the boat they were on, SKA-RAMBA, had hit a sandbar at Spreeu Walle and had capsized with 4 people onboard including skipper Cleeve Matthyson and his wife Annemarie, both aged in their fifties. Cleeve and Annemarie had stayed with the boat while Leon and Natalie walked along the beach to seek help.
“Our NSRI 4×4 rescue vehicle, the SA Police Services, the Police Port of Entry Security, officials from the Transnet National Ports Authority and Atlantic Medical Services responded to the scene and found the boat capsized.
“On arrival on-scene the vessel was found capsized and high and dry on a sand bank but the skipper and his wife were not with the boat and a search commenced for them but whilst the search was underway they phoned their crew members (Leon and Natalie, who were now accompanying the rescue team) to say that they too had left the boat and had walked along the beach to safety.
“The four crew, who are all from Langebaan, were reunited and no one required any medical assistance.
“It appears they had run onto a sand bar which capsized their boat while out fishing.
“They will attempt to salvage their boat later today.”
