Three men on an inflatable boat drifting offshore of Port Elizabeth yesterday evening were rescued by NSRI sea rescue volunteers.
The men were reported to be drifting somewhere between Schoenmakerskop and Sardinia Bay, 15 nautical miles from Port Elizabeth with motor failure, in 3 to 5 meter rough sea swells and a 15 knot wind.
Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said at 5.45 pm yesterday, 4 March, NSRI Port Elizabeth volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated after reports of a small 5.8 meter rigid inflatable boat adrift at sea, with 3 local men on board.
The sea rescue duty crew launched their sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV and in fading light searched for the boat in the hopes of finding it before nightfall. “Aircraft coming in to land at Port Elizabeth Airport were requested to be on the lookout as the search area was in their flight path,” Gray said.
At about 7.30 pm the sea rescue crew and an Airlink incoming commercial aircraft spotted the drifting boat simultaneously, 2 nautical miles off-shore.
The crew met up with the boat and the three men on it were found safe and uninjured.
“In the rough sea conditions the 3 men, aged 36, 54 and 43, abandoned their boat and were transferred to our sea rescue craft and brought to our sea rescue base, arriving at 9.15 pm
The men were released requiring no further assistance. The boat is expected to wash ashore in the area.
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