The 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks near Monwabisi in False Bay. Picture NSRI.
UPDATE: 15 05 2012
The full extent of the grounding of a 3.5 meter boat near Monwabisi, on the False Bay Coast, Sunday, 13th May, has been revealed.
Mario Fredericks, NSRI Strandfontein station commander, said:
“Law Enforcement, at the Monwabisi Law Enforcement offices, were alerted (at 16h40, Sunday, 13th May) by members of the public reporting that a small cabin boat was in trouble in the surf at Monwabisi, near to the picnic area, and while Law Enforcement officers launched a rescue craft to respond to the scene they alerted NSRI Strandfontein, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and Western Cape Health EMS (WC Health EMS).
“On the Law Enforcement officers arrival on-scene they found 3 men, Christian Ernstler, 45, from Belhar, Ricardo Verwey, 41, from Crawford and Michael Borghes, (aged not recorded), from Grassy Park, on the beach and all 3 men were transported to hospital by WC Health EMS ambulance suffering hypothermia and as a precaution for observations for possible secondary drowning symptoms.
“While out fishing the three men had reportedly experienced a fuel line problem to their outboard motor and while attending to the problem their craft had capsized in the surf line, 40 meters off-shore, and they had managed to swim ashore.
“NSRI Strandfontein volunteers, Law Enforcement officers and Fire and Rescue officers attempted to secure their boat which had washed onto the beach but the sea relentlessly tore their boat apart, hammering her on the beach, and large sections of the hull broke up and were washed out to sea. By 21h00 some of the boat was secured to the beach and out of further harms way.
“What could be saved of the boat will be salvaged by the owners.”
The 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks near Monwabisi.
Pictures are available from Sea Rescue’s Flickr page.
Initial report:
After a report from Cape Town City Law Enforcement officers of a 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks at the Monwabisi Beach picnic area in False Bay, NSRI’s Strandfontein volunteers were called-out.
At 16h47 on Sunday 13th, May Law enforcement officers and life-guards launched a rescue craft from Monwabisi and went to assist the craft. On arrival they found all 3 men already safely ashore and METRO EMS ambulances were summoned according to Mario Fredericks, NSRI Strandfontein station commander.
Our NSRI duty crew responded to the scene by road and assisted to secure the boat using ropes, in an effort to prevent it from being washed away.
Personal belongings of the men have also been recovered from the boats cabin and the family are due to pick up these belongings at the scene.
All 3 men that were on the boat have been transported to hospital by METRO EMS ambulance and are all in a stable condition.
NSRI do not have any further details of the three men other than that they are all men believed to have been out fishing when their boat ran aground.
The 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks near Monwabisi.
