Spencer Oldham, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said:
At 09h20, Saturday, 20 April, NSRI Kommetjie, NSRI Simonstown and NSRI Hout Bay duty crews were activated following reports of a fisherman missing at Brightwaters, on the Atlantic side of Cape Point.
Cape Medical Response (CMR) had received the call from SA National Parks rangers (TMNP – Table Mountain National Parks) who raised the alarm, contacting CMR, after 2 men arrived at the Cape Point main gate and reported that their boat had capsized at Brightwaters, 1.5 nautical miles South of Olifantsbospunt, during the early hours of the morning and their skipper was missing.
They confirmed that they had both managed to reach the shore after their boat reportedly capsized in the surf zone in dense fog, and their boat had then washed ashore, but they had found no signs of their skipper (of their boat) and they feared that he was missing in the surf zone.
They had been brought to the main gate at Cape Point by a local resident and SAN Parks rangers had raised the alarm by calling CMR.
NSRI rescue vehicles from NSRI Kommetjie, NSRI Hout Bay and from NSRI Simonstown responded.
2 NSRI Hout Bay rescue craft, Nadine Gordimer and Albie Matthews, were launched and responded.
Metro Control activated the WC Government Health EMS rescue squad “drone rescue unit” and NSRI alerted the SA Police Services (SAPS), SAPS Sea Borderline Control and SAPS WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services).
A Police patrol vehicle responded.
CoCT (City of Cape Town) Law Enforcement Marine Unit and TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) were alerted
A CMR ambulance and a CMR response paramedic responded to Cape Point Main gate where the 2 survivors, males aged 29 and 17, both from Hout Bay, were treated by CMR paramedics and they were transported to hospital, both suffering injuries but both in stable conditions, by CMR ambulance and they are both recovering.
Telkom Maritime Radio Services and NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) assisted with communications (marine VHF communications were also assisted by the NSRI rescue vehicles that were on the scene).
On arrival on the scene the casualty boat was found beached and an extensive sea and shoreline search commenced for the missing 39 year old skipper, a fisherman who is from Oceanview.
It appears that the casualty boat may have been swamped by a wave before running aground on the shoreline.
During the search the body of the man was located approximately between 30 and 50 meters off-shore at Brightwaters and was recovered onto the NSRI rescue craft.
Sadly the man was declared deceased.
The body of the deceased man was brought to NSRI Hout Bay rescue station aboard the NSRI rescue craft in the care of NSRI Hout Bay crew and the body has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
Family were assisted at NSRI Hout Bay rescue station by NSRI Hout Bay rescue crew, the Forensic Pathology Services and by the Police.
Condolences are conveyed to family and friends of the deceased man.
Police have opened an Inquest docket.
We believe that the casualty boat remains beached at Brightwaters and is in the care of TMNP rangers.
Kamikaze Granny
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Fun South African Fact: It’s believed that Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain is one of the oldest mountains in the world. Table mountain is approximately 260 million years old; it’s also home to thousands of species of plant life, including species unique to the Cape Floral Region. The glorious mountain is one of the world’s 7 New Natural Wonders. It is also apparently one of 12 main energy centres on the planet emitting spiritual, magnetic, and electric energies. It’s an idyllic and very popular hiking destination with hundreds of routes to explore.