Chokka fisherman evacuated St Francis Bay and boat capsizes Port Alfred

Sea Rescue – Eastern Cape – 11 and 12 June, 2011: Chokka fisherman evacuated St Francis Bay and boat capsizes Port Alfred.At 07h20 on Saturday - 11 June NSRI St Francis Bay were called to just outside of the harbor entrance following a request for medical assistance from a Chokka Fishing Boat. A local crewman, 34, had stomach cramps and dehydration.He was transferred onto the sea rescue craft and brought ashore before being transported to hospital by Private Care ambulance service in a stable condition.At 07h48 on Sunday - 12 June NSRI Port Alfred volunteers responded to a boat capsized in the Kowie River Mouth with 2 men onboard.A sea rescue boat was launched and NSRI volunteers were also sent to East Beach. They found that a 36 year old local skipper and his crewman, also a local, had been swept onto the East Beach by waves after their 5.5 meter ski-boat had capsized while they were exiting the river mouth to go to sea.Neither of the two men were injured and they had held onto the upturned hull of their boat after it capsized.NSRI volunteers assisted to recover their boat which had sustained some damage.The men said they had exited the river mouth timing sets to try to avoid the incoming waves, but as they passed through the harbor exit a wave came up and although they tried to outrun the wave it caught up with them eventually tipping their boat over.