The rescue of 17 fishermen off Hout Bay last week after their trawler suffered engine trouble comes less than two weeks after the Sea Harvest fishing trawler, MFV Lepanto, sank claiming the lives of 11 fishermen.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) emergency operations centre, intercepted a distress call from a fishing vessel, reportedly taking water 3 nautical miles off-shore of Duiker Island last Thursday evening.
The NSRI has refused to divulge the name of the crippled vessel, but Sea Harvest spokeswoman Anthea Abraham told the Sentinel it did not belong to them.
The MFV Lepanto sank on Friday afternoon May 17 some 34 nautical miles (nearly 63km) off the coast of Hout Bay. Nine of the 20-member crew were rescued without injury, but the search for the missing 11 was called off the following Monday after they were presumed drowned (“Doomed trawler was a ‘rust bucket’,” says union’, May 24).
None of the fishermen rescued last Thursday were from Hout Bay, according to Hangberg resident Ricardo Phillips.
At 9pm, Telkom Maritime Radio Services sent a mayday relay for all marine vessels in the area to help the 28-metre, steel hull, longline fishing trawler, which was taking water but maintaining structural and navigational integrity, according to NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
The NSRI readied rescue craft for launch while the fishing vessel Lucerne reached the crippled vessel.
“We believe they rafted alongside as a precaution, and at times they were able to release the rafting when, at times, the casualty fishing vessel crew managed to get her motors running,” said Mr Lambinon.
The skipper and crew of the sinking trawler were able get its motors running, and the skipper headed his vessel out to sea – away from land – to give them added drift time, according to Mr Lambinon.
“They reported that they had stemmed the ingress of water. The NSRI Table Bay rescue craft launched and was making her way to rendezvous with the casualty fishing vessel to join Lucerne that was assisting on-scene.”
Once the NSRI Table Bay rescue craft intercepted the sinking trawler, Lucerne returned to the fishing grounds.
“The skipper and crew of Lucerne are commended for their assistance. They were bid a bon voyage and heartily thanked for their assistance by the skipper and crew of the casualty fishing vessel,” said Mr Lambinon.
“A towline was established, and the NSRI rescue craft DHL Deliverer began to tow the fishing vessel towards the Port of Table Bay. During the towing operation, they were hampered by the heavy weight of the casualty fishing vessel.”
None of the 17 rescued fishermen were reported to have suffered any injuries, and Mr Lambinon said the fishing company had started repairing the vessel.
Sentinel asked the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment whether the condition and maintenance of fishing vessels needed a thorough investigation, but our queries were redirected to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) and Sea Harvest.
Samsa did not provide a response before the time of publication.
Ms Abraham told the Sentinel this week that there were no updates regarding the investigation into the sinking of the MFV Lepanto.
