Recreational fishing vessel assisted

Reinard Geldenhuys, NSRI Agulhas station commander, said: At 18h45, Tuesday, 16th February, NSRI Agulhas duty crew were activated following multiple calls from eye-witnesses reporting the recreational fishing vessel Mystique drifting dangerously close to the shoreline and fears were she was heading towards running aground.The fishing vessel, taking part in a local annual Marlin competition, was at anchorage and unmanned at the time off-shore of Struisbaai.The sea rescue craft Rescue 30 and I&J Rescuer IV were launched and on arrival on the scene the fishing vessel was found moored to two mooring blocks and at anchor. She was dragging her anchor in strong South Easterly on-shore seas and one line to one mooring block had come loose.A rescue swimmer was transferred onto the casualty craft and the rescue swimmer was able to get the motor started and able to keep the casualty craft from running ashore. The mooring lines were already in the breaking surf-line.The skipper was located in town and he was transported to the casualty craft aboard an NSRI sea rescue craft and additional sea rescue crew assisted to lift the anchor and slip the mooring lines and under her own power the skipper managed to steer the craft to deeper water and out of danger and no further assistance was required.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE File image