Paula Leech, NSRI Table Bay station commander, said; “At 02h06 on Monday 5 December, NSRI Table Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated by MRCC (The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) following an EPIRB (Emergency Positioning Indicating Rescue Beacon) activation 65 nautical miles off-shore of Cape Town.
“The EPIRB activation was intercepted by the United States Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre who contacted the South African Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to activate an investigation and a search and rescue operation.
“It appears that the two men onboard a yacht were in the middle of a fishing fleet when they lost both masts which may have snapped one after the other possibly by wind. The fishing vessel HANGBERG went to their assistance. Efforts were made to cut the rigging (in the water behind their yacht) free but after these efforts failed it was suggested they activate their EPIRB and subsequently a sea rescue operation was launched.
“Our NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF VODACOM and on arrival on-scene found the yacht STELLA DI MARIE with two foreigners onboard who are unable to speak any english. They have two broken off masts (both trailing behind the yacht in the sea), broken rigging and sails, (also all trailing behind the yacht in the sea).
“Unable to communicate with the two men (because of the language barrier) our sea rescuers have rigged a tow-line from the casualty yacht to our rescue craft and our sea rescue craft is towing them at 5 knots and making slow progress towards the Port of Table Bay.
“The towing effort is currently being made more difficult by the ‘debris’ trailing behind the yacht and at 16h00 we will launch our sea rescue craft ROTARY ENDEAVOR to rendezvous with the rescue operation and take a look to see if some of the debris can be coral’d or cut free before trying to bring the yacht into Port.
“Communications between our sea rescue base and our sea rescue craft are being assisted by the Maritime Radio Services and at this stage we are not pressing for any more details. We are satisfied that the two men are safe, they appear not to be injured, and we can find out exactly what happened to them and where they are from once they are neatly in Port.
“At 11h45 the towing rescue effort were 30 nautical miles from Port.”
They are expected in Port at around 17h00.
