A 45-foot yacht ran aground on the eastern side of Robben Island on Tuesday, 8 June ta 7.59pm. There were three local crew aboard, aged 48, 52 and 66, from Durbanville, who were luckily unharmed in the accident.
NSRI Table Bay was alerted to the incident and dispatched emergency services after they received a Mayday distress call from the boat.
According to Marc de Vos, NSRI Table Bay station commander, “The 3 local crew reported to be in no imminent danger.
MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority – Port Control), NSRI Melkbosstrand, NSRI Bakoven, Police Sea Borderline Control, WC Government Health EMS – Metro Control, the Police Dive Unit, CoCT (City of Cape Town) Law Enforcement Marine Unit and CoCT Fire and Rescue Services – Fire Dive Unit, were placed on alert.
Sea rescue boats on the water, and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries) officers approached the area from the land side to assist.
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“On arrival on the scene, in calm seas and dense fog, the vessel was found to be hard aground and listing. A rescue swimmer was deployed to swim and wade to the vessel,” said de Vos.
The crew were rescued in relays, one at a time, and assisted to shore by the NSRI rescue swimmers – they were assisted by DEFF officers on the land side.
“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,” said de Vos.
The owner attempted to salvage the yacht on Wednesday.
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