Four rescued after their boat capsizes near Hermanus

At 12h40, Saturday, 15 March, NSRI Hermanus duty crew, while recovering rescue craft from a routine training exercise at NSRI Hermanus station 17 rescue base, were activated following eyewitness reports of a craft appearing to be capsized, with people at the casualty craft appearing to be hanging onto the upturned hull, offshore between Vermont and Hawston, Hermanus.

As fog was lifting fishermen angling along the shoreline had noticed what appeared to be a capsized boat offshore and people hanging onto the capsized hull and they raised the alarm.

Within minutes multiple additional eyewitness reports were being received by NSRI Hermanus and by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre).

The NSRI Hermanus rescue craft Leonard Smith and the NSRI rescue craft JetRib Rescue 17 Bravo were launched.

WC Government Health EMS were activated.

On arrival on the scene we found a father, age 49, his son, age 17, from Somerset West, and 2 friends, males, both age 14, from Stellenbosch, clinging onto the upturned hull of their capsized small cabin ski-boat.

They had been in the water at their capsized craft at anchor for at least over 7 hours.

All 4 casualties were rescued onto our rescue craft where treatment for hypothermia was commenced as well as medical treatment for injuries sustained to the dad and his son.

The son was lapsing in and out of consciousness.

They were brought to our NSRI Hermanus rescue base where we were met by EMS paramedics and an EMS rescue squad who continued with medical treatment to all 4 patients who were in serious conditions.

All 4 patients were transported to hospital by EMS ambulance where medical treatment continued in hospital. They are all recovering and they are expected to make full recoveries.

Our NSRI rescue craft Rescue 17 Bravo had remained at the scene at the capsized boat.

Our NSRI rescue craft Leonard Smith was relaunched and returned to the scene where the capsized casualty craft was righted.

We towed the casualty craft to Hermanus Harbour.

NSRI crew had collected the dad’s vehicle and their boat trailer at Hawston. Their vehicle was dropped off at the hospital with the families while the trailer was brought to the Hemanus Habour where NSRI crew recovered their boat onto her trailer. 

The three families are on a weekend vacation break to Hermanus.

The dad and his son, and the 2 teenagers from the 2 other families, had launched earlier at Hawston, we believe to go fishing.

In flat calm seas, while at anchor, it appears that a small wave had peaked unexpectedly and gently capsized their boat without warning, at it is believed to be at around 05h30, throwing all 4 of them into the water.

It is suspected that they were in the vicinity of reefs that may have caused the wave that capsized their boat.

Initially the dad’s son had disappeared under the boat where his dad feared that his son had drowned but then the 17 year old had reappeared, but, while all 4 of them clung onto the upturned hull of the capsized boat, the son had continuously lapsed in and out of consciousness, we believe from a head injury that may have been sustained when the boat capsized.

Caught in dense fog they had remained at the capsized craft in calm seas while clinging onto the upturned hull of their boat – about 100 meters offshore - it appears with no means to raise the alarm. They are commended for staying with the floating capsized boat. 

As the fog bank lifted anglers fishing along the shoreline were surprised to see what appeared to be a capsized boat with people in distress about a hundred meters offshore and they had raised the alarm.
Residents and people walking along the beach also raised the alarm after noticing the boat capsized offshore.

The families involved have respectfully requested privacy during this time while they are recovering from the ordeal.

The eyewitnesses are commended for swiftly raising the alarm.