Inquest launched after three fishermen drown off Shelley Point
An NSRI rescue craft 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.
Image: FILE
POLICE have launched an inquest after three fishermen tragically drowned when their boat capsized off Shelley Point near St Helena Bay.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said NSRI and private divers retrieved the bodies three men from the water and were declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel on Friday.
"The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation,” said Twigg.
Cedric Brown, NSRI Mykonos duty coxswain station said NSRI Mykonos and NSRI St Helena Bay duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of at least one man clinging onto a capsized boat offshore of Shelly Point, West Coast, and where there was suspected to be people in the water at the capsized boat.
He said 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.
On arrival the body of a man was located washed ashore, before he was taken into the care of the police and paramedics.
“Sadly, the adult male was declared deceased by paramedics.”
“During a search, the body of a second man was located in shallow surf near the shoreline, and he was recovered to the shoreline by NSRI rescue swimmers in cooperation with the police,” said Brown.
The NSRI said they eventually determined three local fishermen, believed to be adult males aboard a fishing boat that had capsized.
“An NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed from the NSRI rescue craft and assisted the Good Samaritan searching in the surf zone along the rocky shoreline, where the body of the third fisherman was located and recovered onto the NSRI rescue craft. The body of the man was brought to the shoreline and taken into the care of the police and paramedics. Sadly, the man was declared deceased by paramedics. The bodies of the three deceased men were taken into the care of the Police and the Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.”
Anyone with any information about the incident can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the mobile application MySAPS anonymously.
Cape Times