At 07h08, Sunday, 10 April, NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated following reports of 2 fishermen fallen overboard a local commercial fishing boat in the surfline at Mapelane Bay.
Jan Hoffman, NSRI St Lucia station commander, said:
Our NSRI rescue vehicle responded towing an NSRI rescue craft JetRIB to the scene.
The SA Police Services were activated.
On arrival on the scene it was determined that the 2 local fishermen had been ejected off the boat into the surfline after the boat may have been broadsided by 2 waves.
A local charter vessel had launched and they had successfully rescued 1 of the fishermen in the surfline.
He was safe on the beach where NSRI medics treated the fisherman for shock and minor lacerations and he required no further medical assistance.
Our NSRI rescue craft, Rescue 40 Alpha, launched and joined the 2 commercial fishing boats in a search for the missing local adult fisherman.
During the search the missing fisherman’s life-jacket and his rain coat were located and recovered.
Police and NSRI also conducted extensive shoreline search efforts.
Despite an extensive sea and shoreline search there remains no sign of the missing fisherman.
Police have opened an investigation and Police Search and Rescue are continuing in an ongoing search.
NSRI commend the quick reaction of the local charter fishing vessel that launched and successfully rescued one of the fishermen.
Our thoughts are with the family and colleagues of the missing fisherman in this difficult time.
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