Cape Town – Thursday, 27 February. Search for missing fishermen

SEA RESCUE – Cape Town – Friday, 28th February. Update - missing fishermen:A Police Dive Unit, supported by Police Sea Borderline Control, are continuing in a search for 6 missing fishermen. (see original media statement below).During an ongoing search during the night there remains no sign of the missing men.NSRI Melkbosstrand and NSRI Yzerfontein are tasked to keep a look out and will assist Police in their search efforts and ships at sea are requested to keep a look out.Law Enforcement officers patrolling the coastline are tasked to keep a vigil.Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of the missing men in this difficult time.SEA RESCUE – Cape Town – Thursday, 27 February. Search for missing fishermen:At 07h44, Thursday, NSRI Bakoven duty crew were activated following reports of a boat capsized with 13 people onboard of which 1 person came ashore at Clifton and raised the alarm.The NSRI Bakoven sea rescue craft Rotarian Schipper was launched and emergency services responded.No sign of a boat capsized could be found and on investigation with the survivor at Clifton it was determined that a RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) with 13 crew onboard capsized or became water logged during the early hours of the morning between Clifton and Oudekraal and it is suspected that all persons went overboard.An unmanned semi-submerged RHIB was located 2 nautical miles off-shore of Mouille Point Lighthouse and is believed to be the craft that the 13 men had been on.NSRI Table Bay sea rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom, NSRI Kommetjie sea rescue craft, Spirit of the Vines, NSRI Hout Bay sea rescue craft, Albie Matthews, a Police Sea Borderline Control patrol craft, a Law Enforcement Marine Unit craft and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter joined NSRI Bakoven in a search operation between Mouille Point and Oudekraal.The casualty boat was towed to the Police Sea Borderline Control station at Table Bay Port.An SA Air Force 22 Squadron Oryx helicopter accompanied by NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue) rescue swimmers and WC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics was tasked by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and joined the operation.SA Police Services, Law Enforcement officers, ER24 ambulance services, Community Medics, TMNP (Table Mountain National Park) rangers, Life Healthcare response paramedics, WC Government Health EMS and WSAR (Wilderness Search and Rescue) were mobilised to assist in shoreline patrols, securing a landing zone (LZ) at Clifton and investigating the incident.An all ships alert was posted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services for vessels in the area to be on the look out.The man who raised the alarm and who had come ashore at Clifton was not injured and revealed that an additional 3 men had come ashore and were not injured and they were accounted for.During an extensive search 2 men were located by the Air Force helicopter floating in the water 3 quarters a nautical mile off-shore of Bakoven. A rescue swimmer was deployed from the helicopter and secured 1 of the men and sea rescue craft rendezvoused at that location and secured 1 man who was taken onboard a sea rescue craft.Both men, suffering hypothermia, were recovered into the helicopter using a basket hoist and they were airlifted to hospital where they are recovering.During an ongoing search the body of 1 man was located and recovered onto a sea rescue craft and the body of the man was brought to NSRI Bakoven and taken into the care of the Government Health Forensic Pathology Services and Police attended at the scene and have opened an inquest docket.A Police Dive Unit has joined the search operation.MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) and NSRI shore controllers are assisting in logistics and coordination of the search and rescue operation.Telkom Maritime Radio Services are assisting with VHF marine radio communications.A search is continuing for, believed to be, 6 men that remain missing at sea.Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased man.Thoughts are with the families of the missing men in this difficult time.