The search is on for a missing 30-year-old man after two boats collided near Hout Bay on Sunday.
“A search is continuing 5 nautical off-shore of Hout Bay where a local adult male, the skipper of a local boat, remains missing despite an extensive search by NSRI Hot Bay, NSRI Kommetjie and local fishing boats on Sunday night,” NSRI Hout Bay Station Commander Geoff Stevens said.
He said the NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Kommetjie units were called at 19:47, following eye-witness reports of red distress flares sighted out to sea between The Sentinel and Chapman’s Peak.
“The same time, reports were received of a boat collision.
“NSRI Hot Bay and NSRI Kommetjie dispatched sea rescue craft and on arrival on the scene it was found that two boats had collided.
Navigational lightsÂ
“It appears that one boat may have been stationary in the water without navigational lights being displayed but this remains unconfirmed,” said Stevens.
The South African Police, Law enforcement, Western Cape Government Health EMS, Life Healthcare response paramedics and ER24 ambulance services were also activated.
Stevens said the sequence of events remained unclear but it appeared that there were four local crew on one of the boats and following the collision, they went overboard and two crew of the second boat went overboard.
“Five men were rescued by one of the boats that was involved in the collision and one man in his 30s, the skipper of the stationary boat, was unaccounted for,” said Stevens.
He added: “Local fishing boats, Fish Keeper, Cap Tuner II and Fish Tails, that were in the area at the time, went to their aid and two of the casualties were transported to shore by one of the local fishing boats which returned to the scene and then transported the remaining three casualties and an NSRI paramedic to the shore.”
Stable conditionÂ
He said one of the men was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance. He was in a stable condition.
Three sea rescue craft and the crew of the fishing boats have been searching for the missing man, he said.
The two boats that collided were brought to Hout Bay harbour. Both sustained significant damage, he said.
“A Police Dive Unit and Police Sea Borderline Control have joined NSRI Hout Bay in an ongoing search this morning.
“NSRI commend the local fishing community who assisted on the scene on Sunday night. Our thoughts are with the family of the missing man in this difficult time,” Stevens said.
Picture: NSRI Hot Bay