NSRI rescues three people after 45-foot yacht gets stuck along Robben Island

Cape Town – The NSRI rescued three people on Tuesday evening after they received a mayday distress call from a local 45-foot yacht reporting to be run aground on the eastern side of Robben Island.

NSRI Table Bay station commander Marc de Vos said that the crew on duty were dispatched at 8pm on Tuesday evening after receiving the distress call.

The three local crew members on the yacht were reported to be in no imminent danger.

The NSRI sea rescue craft Spirit of Day and Spirit of Vodacom were launched while officers from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries approached the area from the land side.

De Vos said that on arrival on the scene, in calm seas and dense fog, the vessel was found to be hard aground and listing.

If a ship or boat runs aground, it means that it hit the coast, and sometimes can become stuck there.

Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Transnet National Ports Authority – Port Control, NSRI Melkbosstrand, NSRI Bakoven, Police Sea Borderline Control, Western Cape government health EMS, the Police Dive Unit, City of Cape Town (CoCT) Law Enforcement Marine Unit and CoCT Fire and Rescue Services – Fire Dive Unit, were placed on alert.

Communications were assisted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services.

“A rescue swimmer was deployed to swim and wade to the vessel.

“In relays of one at a time the three casualty crew were assisted to shore by the NSRI rescue swimmer and they were assisted by DEFF officers on the land side,” De Vos said.

“Efforts to pull the yacht off the rocks were investigated but In the low tide the effort was abandoned and an anchor was deployed to attempt to hold the yacht away from the shore at high tide that was due in the early hours of the morning.”

De Vos added that Disaster Risk Management control were alerted, and that the owner and salvors will attempt to salvage the yacht today, Wednesday.

“The three men, aged 48, 52 and 66, from Durbanville, were brought to our NSRI Table Bay sea rescue station aboard our sea rescue craft and they were transported to their vehicles.

“They were not injured and no further assistance was required. The operation completed at 01:00.”

Cape Argus