3 men rescued by fellow fishermen in Betty's Bay

On Tuesday, 3 February, NSRI Kleinmond duty crew were activated following reports of a commercial crayfishing boat capsized offshore of Draadbaai, Stoney Point Nature Reserve, Betty's Bay.

Our NSRI crew responded to our NSRI Kleinmond station 42 rescue base where we launched the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski.

Our NSRI rescue vehicle responded to Stoney Point.

ER24 ambulance services and WC Government Health EMS were alerted.

While responding to the scene it was confirmed that 3 local adult male fishermen had been rescued by the crew of a fellow commercial crayfishing boat, Winfray, after their boat had capsized at fishing grounds.

They were brought safely to the Stoney Point slipway onboard Winfray and they were transported by road to Kleinmond. They were all accounted for and they were not injured.

On our rescue craft arriving on the scene we found the capsized vessel drifting close to rocks.

A towline was established. We towed the vessel away from the rocks and successfully righted the vessel, in calmer waters, and towed the casualty vessel to Kleinmond where the vessel was recovered without incident.

It appears that the casualty boat had experienced fishing rope around their motor propellors. While the fishermen attempted to free rope from their motor propellors the vessel took on water and capsized.

The assistance of the skipper and crew of the commercial crayfishing vessel Winfray, Good Samaritans, are commended for rescuing the 3 fishermen.