Fishermen rescued from upturned hull

At 14h00 (Thursday, 19th December) NSRI Lamberts Bay and NSRI Mykonos volunteer sea rescue duty crews were placed on alert following reports of a suspected red distress flare, spotted by eye-witnesses on shore, off-shore Lamberts Bay.No confirmation could be made of any vessels overdue and we monitored the situation with NSRI Mykonos until Police called later in the day reporting that they had seen another red distress flare and from an elevated position on the shoreline, could see a boat in the vicinity of the red distress flare.Our NSRI Lamberts Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our auxiliary sea rescue craft BAYNES and responded to the vicinity. On arrival on-scene found 3 people, Willem Olivier, 47, Theo Cloete, 40 and Jodshua Hayes, 13, all from Brackenfell perched on the upturned hull of their capsized boat DEEP PLEASURE.All 3 were rescued and brought safely to shore suffering mild hypothermia. They were treated on the scene by WC Government Health EMS paramedics but did not require hospitalisation.It appears that while crayfishing they may have all been on one side of the boat hauling crayfish nets when it is believed a wave capsized their boat.They are estimated to have been adrift at sea perched on the upturned hull of the boat for at least 5 hours before being rescued.