2 fishermen found safe

Two local fishermen were safely towed to shore by NSRI after their boat broke down in dense fog near Twee Klip; prompt action and accurate location details ensured a swift rescue.

At 15h37, Wednesday, 23 April, NSRI Lamberts Bay duty crew were activated following reports from 2 local fishermen on a small open fishing boat, a crayfish bakkie, with motor failure, at "Twee Klip", between Lamberts Bay and Doorspring, West Coast.

The 2 fishermen had alerted NSRI Lamberts Bay on the emergency phone reporting that they had immediately put to anchor after experiencing motor mechanical failure but were now also compromised by dense fog gathering around them - but they gave NSRI explicit details of where they knew they were located.

NSRI station 4, Mykonos, NSRI station 44, St Helena Bay, and NSRI station 45, Strandfontein (West Coast) were placed on alert while the NSRI Lamberts Bay rescue craft Spirit of Saldanha was launched and the SA Police Services were alerted.

The NSRI rescue craft arrived at the location given by the 2 fishermen and despite the dense fog they were immediately found. As we reached the area we could hear them shouting towards us - they had heard our motors and through the fog we found them waving towards us.

Both men, emotional and grateful for being found, assisted us to establish a towline and we towed them safely to Lamberts Bay Harbour without incident.

Once safely ashore they required no further assistance.

The fishermen are commended for alerting NSRI immediately and staying at anchor and not moving from where they knew they were - that contributed to them being found safe.