Ron Selley, NSRI Lamberts Bay station commander said: “On the 24th of March at 18h07 NSRI Mykonos were alerted by the Transnet National Ports Authority following reports of three fishermen reporting to be lost at sea in thick fog, somewhere between St Helena Bay and Lamberts Bay.
NSRI Mykonos, NSRI Lamberts Bay and an SA Air Force 35 Squadron Dakota fixed wing aircraft were placed on high alert.
NSRI Mykonos station commander, Darius van Niekerk, remained in cell-phone contact with the men, who were advised to drop anchor and wait until the fog lifted, throughout the night.
Maritime Radio Services broadcast a VHF marine radio all ships alert for sea traffic in the area, between St Helena Bay and Lamberts Bay, to remain on the lookout for the fishermen who were on a 4.2 metre wooden hull boat with a 30 horse power outboard motor.
Arrangements were made to contact the men by phone at intermittent intervals, during the night, in an attempt to conserve battery power on their cell-phone, but by 04h00 cell-phone communication was lost.
Prior to losing cell-phone contact the men had said that they were rowing their boat using their oars which led us to believe that they had run out of fuel and were adrift and not under anchor as had been instructed.
At first light the Air Force Dakota, accompanied by NSRI spotters, was dispatched and on arrival in the area a grid search commenced between St Helena Bay and Lamberts Bay and the air search gradually widened, gradually heading further out to sea, and at 11h20 the small boat, with all 3 men on-board, was found 11.5 nautical miles South West of Lamberts Bay (8.5 nautical miles off-shore).
The Dakota remained on scene circling around the fishermen until our NSRI Lamberts Bay rescue craft Condor arrived at their location to find three very relieved Lamberts Bay fishermen, Gerhard Linnerd, 43, Jan Visagie and Cornelius Basson.
We refueled their boat at sea and escorted them to Lamberts Bay where they were met by their families and they required no further assistance.”
