The search was called off on Sunday afternoon for the eight fishermen who went missing when a chokka boat capsized off Thyspunt, near Cape St Francis.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Majola Nkhohli, said that the search would resume on Monday morning.
He said bad weather had hampered the search late Sunday afternoon for the missing men after the vessel Maredon capsized in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew was activated at 3.30am following reports of red distress flares reported by Chokka fishing vessels at sea.
The Chokka fishing vessel Silver Eagle had witnessed the red distress flares at around 03h00 and raised the alarm calling Telkom Maritime Radio Services and MRCC.
The vessel Megalodon, with 16 people on board, reported having recovered one survivor from the water.
NSRI St Francis Bay launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II into rough sea conditions with 6-meter swells, rain and a gusting Westerly wind of 50 knots.
The SA Police Services, Private Care ambulance services, local security company members, NSRI Jeffreys Bay and NSRI Oyster Bay, EC Government Health EMS, a Police Dive Unit and an NSRI Port Elizabeth NSRI ASR team aboard an SA Air Force 15 Squadron Charlie Flight BK-117 helicopter responded.
Shore patrols and a sea and air search were also conducted.
One survivor was transferred from the Chokka fishing vessel Megalodon onto the NSRI sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II and he was brought to shore and he has been transported to hospital by Private Care ambulance services in a stable condition.
During the search members of the public, including the owner of other Chokka fishing boats, and NSRI rescuers, recovered one deceased fisherman on the shore in the vicinity of Sunset Rocks and five survivors were found on the beach at Sunset Rocks.
The Maredon was found capsized and hard aground at Sunset Rocks but surf conditions did not allow rescuers to get close to the stricken vessel during the high tide.
