Fisherman missing off Tsitsikamma

A search is on for a 31-year-old fisherman from Oyster Bay who apparently went overboard off-shore of Tsitsikamma on some time during Thursday night.

The crew of the chokka fishing boat Sea Cat noticed his disappearance in the early hours of Friday morning‚ said NSRI St Francis Bay station commander Sarah Smith.

It is believed that the father and brothers of the missing man are onboard the Sea Cat.

The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre was contacted‚ who alerted the Telkom Maritime Radio Services. The Transnet National Ports Authority then contacted the NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew who launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II was launched.

NSRI Plettenberg Bay‚ Port Elizabeth and Oyster Bay were placed on alert as well as the SA Air Force. Holidaymakers and residents along the Tsitsikamma coastline have been asked to assist with a shoreline search.

A private aircraft flying from Plettenberg Bay to St Francis Bay volunteered to join the search.

No sign of the missing fisherman has been found.

The South African Police Services have notified and counselled the Oyster Bay family.

In another incident on Friday 39-year-old and a 19-year-old from Pretoria‚ whose rubber-duck capsized off Dias Beach were brought to the surfline by a fishing ski-boat.

The two had been preparing for the Trans Agulhas boat race‚ said NSRI Mossel Bay station commander Andre Fraser.

On Friday morning the NSRI Port Alfred duty crew assisted a craft with motor mechanical failure‚ said station commander Juan Pretorius. Two people were on board and the boat was towed into the harbour.

And on Friday afternoon the NSRI Still Bay duty crew assisted a father (46) and son (15) after their Hobie-Cat capsized off-shore Geelkrans‚ about two nautical miles from the rescue base‚ said station commander Arrie Combrinck.

The crew were called back to as assist them a second time after they capsized again in the surfline.

The craft had to be towed on its side back to the harbour because it appeared to have water in one of the pontoons.