MOSSEL BAY, July (ANA) - The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) is investigating the cause of a fishing trawler running aground at Mossel Bay late on Friday, which was later successfully refloated by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated at 5.44pm following a request for assistance from the 13 metre fishing trawler Vuna Imbongi reporting to be aground at Diaz Beach with seven crew on board, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander Andre Fraser said.
"The sea rescue craft Rescue 15 and St Blaze Rescuer was launched and our NSRI rescue vehicle responded. On arrival on the scene the trawler was found in shallow surf beached at Diaz Beach in calm seas," he said.
"To prevent the trawler from tipping over, a tow-line was rigged and we held the trawler in the surf preventing her from drifting closer to the beach pending the arrival of a Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) tugboat activated to try to pull the casualty trawler off the shallow sand."
NSRI rescue swimmers were put aboard the trawler and all the trawler crew were found safe and unharmed.
"Prior to the arrival of the TNPA tug, in a rising spring tide, our NSRI sea rescue craft was able to pull the trawler out to sea to deeper water and once in deep water the towline was released and the trawler continued on her way and no further assistance was required," Fraser said.
- African News Agency (ANA)
