With help from various role players, the National Sea Rescue Institute in Kouga were able to rescue 24 crew members of a fishing vessel which ran aground at Shark Point in St Francis Bay on January 6.
Sarah Smith, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander said that at 22:36 on January 6, NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated following a call to NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) from (MRCC) Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre reporting a local 29-meter stern trawler fishing vessel, with 24 crew onboard, running aground at Shark Point, St Francis Bay.
She said that the NSRI St Francis Bay rescue craft Rescue 21 was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers responded to the shoreline.
Smith said that the SA Police Services and Relay Ambulance Services were activated while additional emergency services were placed on alert.
She further said that NSRI EOC, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port of St Francis Port Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Police Sea Borderline Control, NSRI St Francis Bay duty controllers and NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, assisted MRCC in the coordination of a rescue operation.
Smith said that several local fishing vessels and local commercial boats responded to assist while the Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF radio communications.
She said that the NSRI Jeffreys Bay and NSRI Oyster Bay prepared to launch rescue craft to prepare to assist.
“The commercial Chokka fishing vessel, Nomvula, attempted to assist the casualty fishing vessel, that appeared to have drifted onto rocks at a low tide during fishing operations. Nomvula was not able to get close inshore to assist and she stood by offshore together with additional local vessels that had heeded the request for an emergency assistance,” said Smith.
She said that the skipper of the casualty vessel ordered his crew to abandon ship after she appeared to drift hard onto rocks in the low tide.
“The crew abandoned their vessel into 2 life-rafts that were launched on the stern (seaside) of the casualty vessel and the skipper was the last off the casualty vessel,” said Smith.
She said that all 24 crew were secured into lifejackets.
Smith said that in calm seas the life-rafts cleared the rocks and drifted seawards, and the commercial ski-boat MOI were able to recover two casualty crew from a life-raft.
She said that NSRI St Francis Bay’s rescue craft Rescue 21 recovered the remaining 22 crew from life-rafts at sea while an initial medical evaluation at sea by an NSRI paramedic deemed no casualty crew to be seriously injured.
“All 24 casualty crew were accounted for and they were brought to the NSRI St Francis Bay Rescue 21 rescue station, in the Port of St Francis, where they were further assessed by paramedics and all crew were uninjured and safe,” said Smith.
She said that the rescue operation was successfully completed at 23:26.
Smith further said that the two life-raft’s, that were initially abandoned at sea, post the rescue, have been recovered by NSRI St Francis Bay and Maritime authorities are assessing any environmental outfall.
She said that the owners are appointing salvors to assist in the recovery of their casualty fishing vessel.
Smith said that the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) have been alerted to assist in the evaluation of the environmental impact in cooperation with Port authorities and environmental authorities and an investigation into the causes of the grounding will be initiated by SAMSA.
“We are appealing to public members not to approach the stricken vessel as it remains a danger particularly in the changing tides,” said Smith.
