Brian Cloete, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said: Efforts to recover a vessel broken her moorings and run aground at Santos Beach are being investigated.
At 18h42, Wednesday, 29 July, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were alerted following reports of a boat washing ashore at Santos Beach, Mossel Bay.
TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Mossel Bay Port Control, Mossel Bay Municipal authorities, and the SA Police Service were alerted.
NSRI shore crew, our NSRI rescue vehicle, and personnel of the private vessel, were dispatched where on investigation it was determined that the unmanned local vessel appeared to have broken her moorings during the Spring tide and was washed gently ashore at Santos Beach.
Our NSRI Mossel Bay crew were activated at 19h00 and launched our rescue craft JLT rescuer where efforts were made, making best use of Spring high tide, to tow the vessel off the beach but the efforts were not successful.
At 02h30, Thursday, 30 July, in cooperation with Mossel Bay Port Control, our NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew launched our rescue craft again but efforts to tow the vessel out to sea during Spring high tide were again unsuccessful with the boat heavy from having taken on water.
On Thursday, during Spring high tide, ongoing efforts were investigated to re-float the casualty vessel but conditions were not feasible with the vessel now heavy laden with water intake.
Mossel Bay Port Control, in cooperation with the vessel owner, in Cape Town, are investigating a way forward to recover the vessel.
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