Search for missing fisherman and one body recovered

Lyall Pringle, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said: 'At 11h53, Friday, 07th August, NSRI Hout Bay received a request for assistance from police, who had been approached by Hout Bay families reporting two fishermen overdue from fishing.'It appears that the two local Hout Bay fishermen, aged 39 and 27, who are friends, had left Hout Bay to go fishing on a boat yesterday evening, at around 18h00, but they had not returned as scheduled this morning and the families approached the Police and the alarm was raised.'NSRI Hout Bay launched the sea rescue craft NADINE GORDIMER and ALBIE MATTHEWS and the Police Dive Unit, WC Government Health EMS and the AMS/EMS Skymed rescue helicopter responded to begin a search.'It was then reported by family and friends of the two fishermen, who had gone to the area where the men are known to normally go to fish, that they had located the body of one fisherman on the mainland shore beneath Karbonkelberg opposite Duiker Island.'It appeared that the body may have been washed ashore.“The Police Dive Unit, assisted by NSRI rescue swimmers, recovered the body. The body of the deceased fisherman has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services. Positive identification of the body is being dealt with by the Police.'A search continued for the boat and for the remaining fisherman and the search was extended to beyond the area where the body of one of the fishermen had been located. During the search the boat was located in the area and appeared to have been washed ashore.'Despite an extensive air, sea and shore search no sign of the missing fisherman has been found.“The families of the fishermen are being assisted by the Police. Police have opened an inquest docket and the Police Dive Unit will continue an ongoing search operation for the missing fisherman.' File image