Gideon Loubser, NSRI Hermanus duty controller, said:'On Wednesday 1 August, at 11h40, NSRI Hermanus crew were activated following reports of an angler fallen into the sea in front of the Gecko Restaurant near to the Hermanus new harbour.'Eye-witnesses claimed that the angler, who had been fishing from rocks adjacent to the Hermanus new harbour, had landed in the sea and had disappeared under water. It is suspected that the angler had either slipped or had fallen off the rocks into the sea while angling.'Sea conditions are calm and flat with hardly a breeze.'Our NSRI Hermanus volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft
La Jenmar II and the WC Provincial Government Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the SA Police Force responded.'On arrival on-scene NSRI began a search for the angler and within less than a minute of the search being initiated the lifeless body of the angler, a young male, surfaced and was he recovered onto our sea rescue boat and brought ashore where EMS paramedics conducted extensive Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts but after all CPR efforts were exhausted on-scene the 19 year old male, from Gansbaai, was declared dead on-scene.'During the CPR efforts the young man's mother arrived on-scene and she was attended to by Police. It is believed that some of his family members were at a nearby restaurant when the incident happened.'The body of the deceased was handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.'While family have positively identified the victim the NSRI are not releasing the name of the victim as Police are still in the process of confirming that all of his immediate family are notified.'Police have opened an inquest docket.'It is suspected that after the angler went into the water undercurrents may have dragged him under the water and it is suspected that he was under water for approximately between 5 and 7 minutes before surfacing and being recovered onto the NSRI sea rescue craft.'We extend our sincere condolences to the family.'
