Port St Johns – Man dies, boat washed ashore:

Wednesday, 14th May, 2014. Man dies, boat washed ashore:Just before 16h00 on Wednesday the 14th of May, NSRI Port St Johns duty crew were activated following reports of a boat run out of fuel and the skipper and a crewman having attempted to swim ashore approximately 1 kilometre North of the Umzimvubu River in a big sea state with the breaking wave back line some 500 metres to 600 metres off-shore.John Costello, NSRI Port St Johns station commander, said, “The skipper of the boat had reportedly reached shore and had managed to hail a lift to town in Port St Johns where he raised the alarm.'Our NSRI Port St Johns volunteer sea rescue duty crew responded in our sea rescue vehicle and on arrival on-scene found a small boat washed ashore and the body of a local man, believed to be in his late 40’s, was located and recovered washed up on the beach near to the boat.“Police were called and they have opened an inquest docket and the body of the deceased man has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.“According to the skipper, also a local man in his late 40’s, said that he and the deceased man had been fishing 10 nautical miles North of Port St Johns and when the weather changed for the worse. They had called off fishing for the day and while returning to Port St Johns their boat ran out of fuel. Both men had attempted to swim to shore apparently holding onto their life-jackets but not wearing them and when the skipper reached shore he reportedly hailed a lift to town to raise the alarm.'