Search Continues for Missing Hawston Fisherman After Going Overboard

Police divers (WPDS - Water Policing and Diving Services) will continue in ongoing search efforts for a local 25 year old male who went missing off a boat near to Hawston Harbour, between Hermanus and Kleinmond, on Friday.

At 12h38, Friday, 14 November, NSRI Kleinmond duty crew were activated following eyewitnesses reporting what they believed to be a capsized boat, with 2 persons onboard, 200 meters offshore of Hawston Harbour, and reporting one adult male to be safely ashore and one adult male suspected to be missing.

An NSRI Kleinmond rescue vehicle was dispatched and the NSRI Kleinmond rescue craft Spirit of Surfski II was launched while the SA Police Services, Oversrtand Traffic Services, Overstrand Law Enforcement and a WSAR (Wilderness Search and Rescue) member, responded.

NSRI Hermanus duty crew were activated and launched the NSRI rescue craft Leonard Smith and Rescue 17 Bravo.

WC Government Health EMS Metro Control and Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) were alerted.

On arrival on the scene it was reported that the small open fishing boat, that 2 local fishermen were on, had not capsized, but one man, the 25 year old skipper of the boat, from Hawston, had reportedly jumped off the boat into the water we believe to recover personal items that had fallen out of the boat, and he had not surfaced from under water.

An extensive search, in calm seas with 13 to 15 knot South Easterly winds, by the 3 NSRI rescue craft, NSRI rescue swimmers, conducting free dive sweeping line search efforts, and shoreline patrols, and that included friends of the missing man launching a boat to assist in the search, has revealed no signs of the missing man.

Police divers (WPDS), assisted by NSRI, Metro EMS Rescue and Overstrand authorities, will continue in ongoing search efforts.

Thoughts and care are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time.