Man From Cape Town Missing Off Eastern Cape Coast; Search Operations Underway

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) carried out a widespread search operation off the Wild Coast at Port St Johns on Wednesday, following the disappearance of a 54-year-old man from Cape Town at sea. The man's family, in their efforts to locate him, arranged a fixed-wing aircraft to conduct an aerial search while fishing vessels and commercial ships extended assistance searching a vast expanse.

The situation came to light on Tuesday afternoon when the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre received a critical alert from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, highlighted that the triggering of an emergency position indicating a radio beacon approximately 30 nautical miles off-shore of Port St Johns led to the alert.

In response, NSRI Port St Johns was put on alert while the Telkom Maritime Radio Services issued an all ships alert. Four marine vessels nearby detoured to the previously mentioned area and engaged in a systematic search operation coordinated by the MRCC. NSRI crews in Durban, East London and Port Edward were also placed on standby, ready for immediate deployment.

As the day extended into the late afternoon on Tuesday, a yacht bearing visible signs of damage was discovered adrift by an oil chemical tanker. Aboard was a survivor, a 57-year-old man from Cape Town. He was safely rescued from the yacht onto the tanker.

Tragically, the survivor shared that his brother, the missing man, had been swept overboard earlier in the day due to rough seas that had battered the yacht they were aboard.

The survivor was later brought to Durban aboard the tanker where an investigation has been initiated by the police and the South African Maritime Safety Authority. The yacht remains adrift at sea.

While commending the Captain and crew of the tanker for their assistance, Lambinon extended his thoughts to the family and friends of the missing man, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation.