26 rescued from boat on fire near Cape Point

Thanks to the combined efforts of various organisations, 26 casualties were safely rescued near Cape Point, South Africa, after their vessel caught fire in the early hours of this morning.

Simon McDonnell, NSRI Simon’s Town station commander, said they were alerted at 00h40 Friday morning.

A 35m support vessel, based in Hout Bay, had caught ablaze south of Cape Point. All shipping traffic in the area was alerted to divert in order to assist if possible, and three NSRI rescue vessels were dispatched from Hout Bay and Simon’s Bay.

Fortunately the cargo vessel Aquaexplorer and fishing vessel Umfondini were able to respond.

The casualty boat crew managed to abandon their vessel, jumping into a life raft; and were then rescued onto Umfondini. Luckily none of the 26 crew members were injured.

“They were brought to the shelter of Buffels Bay where they were transferred onto the NSRI Simon’s Town rescue craft Donna Nicholas and brought to NSRI Simon’s Town,” said McDonnell. “They were then transported by road to their home base in Hout Bay.”

The Transnet National Ports Authority, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, NSRI Simon’s Town duty controllers, NSRI Hout Bay duty controllers and the NSRI’s EOC assisted MRCC in the coordination of the rescue operation.

NSRI commended the swift response of all involved.

A vessel has reported sighting the life raft adrift at sea South of Cape Point but at this stage no efforts are underway to recover the life raft.

MRCC and Telkom maritime radio services confirmed reports of the hull located adrift on the Atlantic Seaboard side of Cape Point and drifting in a North-Westly direction, said the NSRI.