Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis visited Sea Harvest’s headquarters in Cape Town on Monday to extend condolences and support to the families and colleagues of 11 employees presumed to have drowned at sea.
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The 11 employees went missing when their fishing vessel, MFV Lepanto, sank 34 nautical miles (nearly 63km) off the coast of Hout Bay on Friday.
Due to the elapsed time since the boat sank, the search for the fishermen was called off. Their bodies have not yet been recovered.
Sea Harvest, the owner of the fishing trawler that sank, confirmed the decision to end the search.
‘Tragically, the missing crewmen are now presumed drowned,’ stated Sea Harvest CEO Felix Ratheb.
Winde conveyed his ‘shock and sadness’ as he interacted with the grieving families, expressing solidarity with their pain. ‘I feel your pain. You are all in my thoughts in this very difficult time,’ he shared.
In addition to consoling the bereaved, Winde met with the nine survivors, acknowledging the mixed emotions they might be experiencing. ‘I know this may be bittersweet for you as you, too, lost colleagues and friends, but I share in the joy you and your families are feeling that you are with us today,’ he conveyed.
Recognising the profound impact of the tragedy, Winde urged the survivors to seek counselling and support. ‘I urge you to please seek counselling and support. This has been a devastating tragedy, and help is available to you,’ he emphasised.
Furthermore, Winde extended additional psychological counselling support to both the fishermen and the families of the deceased, with Sea Harvest also providing access to trauma counsellors.
Assured by the company’s management of a comprehensive investigation into the incident, Winde expressed gratitude to all involved in the search and rescue efforts.
Sea Harvest was scheduled to release an updated statement on Monday afternoon, but it has been postponed to Thursday.
According to News24, the South African Maritime Safety Authority’s (SAMSA) Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received a distress call regarding a vessel rapidly sinking west of the Slangkop Lighthouse.
SAMSA’s Tebogo Ramatjie stated that nearby fishing vessels, FV Harvest Mzansi and FV Armana, responded to the distress call. Ramatjie further explained that the FV Armana successfully rescued nine crew members, leaving 11 others still unaccounted for.
The nine crewmen were successfully rescued from a life raft and safely brought ashore unharmed.
Ramatjie noted that following an assessment of the ongoing search efforts, the absence of sighting reports, and adverse weather conditions, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) had made the decision to conclude the search and rescue operation.
‘The SAMSA casualty investigation team will conduct an inquiry into the incident to ascertain the cause of the sinking and verify compliance with all safety protocols,’ Ramatjie confirmed.
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Picture: Brenton Geach / Gallo Images
