Three fishermen die in capsized boat incident off the coast of Shelley Point
Three local fishermen died after their boat capsized off the coast of Shelley Point on Friday, leading to a multi-agency search and rescue operation.
The incident was first reported around 4 pm on Friday, when an eyewitness spotted a man clinging to a capsized vessel and notified authorities.
The information, provided by Cedric Brown, the NSRI Mykonos duty coxswain, detailed the swift response that followed.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) stations in Mykonos and St Helena Bay were immediately activated.
The NSRI rescue craft, Rotary Onwards, was launched from the St Helena Bay base as the South African Police Services, Saldanha Bay Traffic Services, West Coast Disaster Risk Management, and local medical services rushed to the scene.
Upon arrival, the body of one of the adult male fishermen was found washed ashore and was declared deceased by paramedics.
A search of the shallow waters nearby led to the discovery of a second man, also declared deceased by paramedics after being brought to shore by NSRI rescue swimmers and police.
During the search for the third missing man, a civilian in a wetsuit, described as a “Good Samaritan,” was found searching among the rocks.
An NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed to assist the civilian, and together they located and recovered the body of the third fisherman.
He was brought aboard the NSRI craft, taken to the shoreline, and declared deceased by paramedics.
The three deceased men, all believed to be local adults, were taken into the care of the SAPS and the Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
The circumstances surrounding the boat’s capsizing are unclear, and an inquest docket has been opened by the police to investigate the incident.
The NSRI commended the quick response and cooperation of everyone involved.
IOL