– Edited by Bev Mortimer; Photos : Barry Culligan (arial photos) and Richard Pike – A 29-metre stern trawler fishing vessel, Elke M, ran aground at Shark Point with 24 crew on board last night, 6 January, around 10.30 pm, and the skipper ordered his crew to evacuate after the boat appeared to drift onto rocks at low tide.
Sarah Smith, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander, said NSRI St Francis Bay volunteer duty crew were activated following a call to NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) from Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) reporting a trawler fishing boat with 24 crew onboard, having run aground at Shark Point, St Francis Bay.
Two new photos by Barry Culligan…
The NSRI St Francis Bay rescue craft Rescue 21 was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers responded to the shoreline.
The crew secured in life-jackets abandoned their vessel into two life-rafts that were launched on the stern (seaside) of the casualty vessel. In calm seas the life-rafts cleared the rocks and drifted seawards.
The skipper was the last off the casualty vessel. The commercial ski-boat MOI recovered two casualty crew from a life-raft and NSRI St Francis Bay’s rescue craft Rescue 21 recovered the remaining 22 crew from life-rafts at sea.
The commercial Chokka fishing vessel, Nomvula, had attempted to assist the casualty fishing vessel but was unable to get close inshore to assist. Nomvula stood by off-shore, together with other local boats following a request for an emergency assistance.
Also supporting the rescue operation yesterday, the SAPS and Relay ambulance services were activated, plus additional emergency services were placed on alert. NSRI EOC, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Port of St Francis Port Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Police Sea Borderline Control, NSRI St Francis Bay duty controllers and NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, assisted MRCC in the coordination of a rescue operation.
In addition, a number of local fishing vessels and local commercial boats responded to assist plus Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF radio communications. NSRI Jeffreys Bay and NSRI Oyster Bay also prepared to launch rescue craft to assist.
An initial medical evaluation at sea by an NSRI paramedic deemed no crew members were injured. Smith says all 24 casualty crew were accounted for and were brought to the NSRI St Francis Bay Rescue 21 rescue station at the private port in St Francis Bay, where they were further assessed by paramedics and all crew were found uninjured and safe.
The rescue operation was successfully completed by 11.26 pm last night.
Smith says the fishing vessels that stood by at sea and who attempted to assist are commended. The skipper and crew of the commercial ski-boat MOI are commended for rescuing 2 casualty crew from a life-raft. And NSRI St Francis Bay volunteer duty crew are commended for swiftly rescuing the remaining 22 crew safely at sea.
The emergency services response was swift and is commended, Smith said and the skipper and crew of the casualty fishing vessel are commended for safely evacuating their stricken vessel in an orderly and safe fashion.
She added that the two life-rafts that were initially abandoned at seawere recovered by NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew.
Maritime authorities are assessing any environmental outfall and the trawler owners are appointing salvors to assist in the recovery of their casualty fishing vessel. Smith adfded that all thoughts are with the owners and the crew of the casualty vessel in this difficult time.
in addition, SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) have been alerted to assist in the evaluation of the environmental impact in cooperation with Port authorities and environmental authorities and an investigation into the causes of the grounding will be initiated by SAMSA.
“We appeal to public members not to approach the stricken vessel as it remains a danger particularly in the changing tides.” She added the vessel is aground on rocks, close inshore, and this may change with the turning tides today, Sunday.
