NSRI crew launched a rescue craft during the search for two missing fishermen off the West Coast.
Image: File
The bodies of two fishermen who were reported missing off the West Coast have been recovered after an extensive two-day sea and shoreline search involving multiple rescue stations and police.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the two local men, aged 35 and 31, had launched an open fishing boat on Friday, April 12, but failed to return as expected.
Their concerned family members alerted the police, prompting a coordinated search operation by NSRI Lamberts Bay, St Helena Bay, and Mykonos, along with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“NSRI Lamberts Bay investigated, in cooperation with police, and although it was not clear where the two local men, on the open fishing boat, had gone fishing, it was suspected that they had gone fishing South of Lamberts Bay towards Elands Bay,” Lambinon said.
The search effort, which included sweeping line searches up to 15 nautical miles offshore and radio broadcasts to nearby vessels, was suspended at midnight and resumed at first light on Saturday.
Tragically, by Saturday evening at 7.26pm, police notified NSRI that a vessel matching the description of the missing boat had been found capsized in shallow surf near Muisbosskerm.
“Police and local community members on the scene assisted to recover the boat, that was found capsized in the surf, and to recover the bodies of the two local adult fishermen who were found nearby in shallow surf, sadly deceased,” Lambinon confirmed.
The deceased were handed over to Government Health Forensic Pathology Services, and an inquest docket has been opened by police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
"Condolences are conveyed to the families of the deceased fishermen," said Lambinon.
Cape Argus