At 7:52am on Tuesday, 16 May, the NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew was activated in response to reports from a fisherman about an unmanned catamaran fishing craft that had washed onto rocks at Shark Point, west of Shark Point Light.
An aerial, sea and shoreline search was launched immediately, and at 8:55am, the man’s body was found and retrieved from the surf close to where his craft had been discovered.
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The fisherman who had discovered the unmanned craft raised the alarm and began a search in the surrounding area.
The NSRI St Francis Bay rescue craft, Spirit of St. Francis II, was launched while the NSRI shore crew responded to the land side of Shark Point.
The South African Police Services, the Police Dive Unit, the EC Government Health EMS, private care ambulance services and drone operators from the local Air Sea Rescue Network all responded, and a number of members of the public volunteered to help and were deployed to join in the search.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was assisted in coordinating a search operation by NSRI St Francis Bay duty controllers, the SA Police Services, the Transnet National Ports Authority and the Emergency Operations Centre. Seven local fishing boats joined the NSRI rescue craft in the sea search, and NSRI Oyster Bay went on alert.
A helicopter was also sent from Gqeberha to assist in the search, and Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine communications and broadcast a ship’s alert.
At 8:55am, the man was discovered and retrieved from the surf near the rocks near Shark Point. Paramedics declared him deceased.
His body has been taken to the Government Health Forensic Pathology Services, and it has been confirmed that he was the only passenger on the boat.
According to the NSRI, the cause of the incident is unknown, and police have opened an inquest docket.
Efforts will be made to recover the stricken vessel from the rocks.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the deceased.
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Picture: National Sea Rescue Institute