A dozen fishermen rescued from vessel off Cape Coast: SAMSA

Pretoria: 27 June 2022

Twelve (12) fishermen were rescued off a damaged fishing vessel off the coast of Cape Town on Sunday, while attempts are underway to salvage the boat, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported.

In a statement in Pretoria on Sunday afternoon SAMSA said: “The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is investigating the capsizing of a fishing vessel resulting in the rescue of 12 fishermen.

“The 12 fishermen have been safely returned to shore following a rescue operation involving two Oceana vessels with coordination from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). The fishing vessel, Restless Wave, is still afloat off Cape Point and a Navigation warning has been issued to vessels around the area. A salvage operation is underway to recover the vessel.

More detail to follow onced obtained.

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Close to a dozen fishermen rescued off sunken boat in Western Cape

Pretoria: 12 April 2022

All eleven crew members of a fishing boat that sank at sea off the Western Cape coast were successfully rescued early on Tuesday, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) announced in Pretoria.

In a statement, SAMSA said the fishing vessel named F/V SILVER SNAPPER sank in the early hours of Tuesday morning off Cape Point after it reportedly suffered engine problems whereafter it began taking in water.

Following to distress calls from the vessel’s crew, another vessel, the F/V VLEIGANS was dispatched to the area to offer assistance, and managed to pluck sailors off the stricken vessel before it sank into the sea.

SAMSA said: “All crewmembers (11 eleven in total) on aboard the fishing vessel, the F/V SILVER SNAPPER were rescued in the early hours of the morning (12 April 2022) off Cape Point.

“The F/V SILVER SNAPPER had earlier reported that it was suffering engine problems and was busy sinking. The F/V VLEIGANS was dispatched to assist the F/V SILVER SNAPPER and on arrival it was found that the F/V SILVER SNAPPER was sinking.

“All 11 crewmembers safely abandoned the F/V SILVER SNAPPER and were rescued by the F/V VLEIGANS. The F/V VLEIGANS remained on scene until the F/V SILVER SNAPPER was fully submerged under the water. No loss of life was reported. The F/V VLEIGANS arrived safely in Gansbaai harbour in the early hours this morning.

Meanwhile, said SAMSA, a navigational warning had been issued due to the fact that the F/V SILVER SNAPPER had left her fishing nets in the water (300m diameter).

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Ten crew members rescued from sunken fishing vessel in West Coast. SAMSA launches an investigation into the incident.

Pretoria: 16 February 2019

The South African Maritime Safety Authority has confirmed the sinking of a fishing vessel off the west coast of the Western Cape near Saldahna Bay and the successful rescue of its 10 member crew early on Saturday morning.

According to the SAMSA Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town, the incident of the sinking of the fishing trawler, registered as Ankoveld/ZR4388, occurred early on Saturday morning at a position some 28.5 nautical miles west north west of Cape St Martin and same distance from the closest land point.

The MRCC said the vessel’s skipper who was among the 10 rescued crew confirmed that the Ankoveld experienced difficulties after it had begun to take water in the engine room, following to which it capsized and sank.

After being alerted to the incident, the MRCC through the rescue sub-rescue centre in Saldanha mobilized a vessel nearest the incident, the Atlantic Leader, which successfully rescued the sunken fishing vessel’s 10 member crew that had already abandoned ship to life rafts.

The centre said a navigational warning had been promulgated warning other vessels sailing in the vicinity of the sunken vessel. SAMSA officials in Saldanha Bay were on the case to conduct an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, the 10 member crew of the sunken fishing vessel were also confirmed to have since landed safely with the Atlantic Leader rescue vessel at Laaiplek harbour.

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