The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) can confirm that after a thorough situation appraisal, the search operation for a seafarer who was reported overboard from the container vessel MV Santa Cruz in the Indian Ocean, near Cape Recife, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), in the Eastern Cape province has been called off.
In a media statement by SAMSA, the SAMSA spokesperson, Tebogo Ramatjie, said despite exhaustive efforts, the individual, a male in his 30s, has not been located.
” The incident occurred approximately 22 nautical miles east of Cape Recife, with the MV Santa Cruz, flying the flag of Denmark, reporting the man overboard on the evening of Saturday.
The vessel was en-route from Durban to Cape Town at the time. Immediate response actions included a distress call to the Telkom Maritime Radio and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town, prompting a coordinated search effort,” said Ramatjie.
” At 18:42 on Saturday, the MRCC, in collaboration with Telkom Maritime Radio, issued a call for assistance to nearby vessels.
” The fishing vessel FV Portunity was the closest and first to respond, with additional resources from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in Gqeberha and other vessels joining the search efforts through the night.Despite the participation of up to six other vessels and extensive search operations conducted by the NSRI, the seafarer was not found,” added Ramatjie.
Ramatjie further added, ” it was reported that at the time of his disappearance, he was not wearing a life jacket.”
“The MV Santa Cruz is continuing its journey to Cape Town, where SAMSA will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
SAMSA extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the missing seafarer and expresses gratitude to all the vessels and rescue services that participated in the search operation.” Ramatjie concluded.
