Cape Town - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Wilderness and other role-players are still searching for a missing fisherman who was swept off the rocks while collecting bait at the Gwaing River Mouth, near Herolds Bay, at the weekend.
The fisherman was with another fisherman on Saturday morning, when a wave swept him off the rocks from the shoreline east of the Gwaing River Mouth, near Herolds Bay, in the Southern Cape.
NSRI Wilderness station commander Mike Vonk said on Saturday at 9.56am, the George fire and rescue services received the first call reporting the incident.
NSRI Wilderness, George fire and rescue services, the provincial health emergency services squad and ambulance, the SAPS and the Skymed rescue helicopter were activated.
Vonk said: “NSRI Wilderness launched one of their rescue craft, V’s Rescuer, from Herolds Bay. The NSRI rescue craft, Oscars Rescue, was towed to the scene and launched. They conducted sea searches.
“NSRI rescue swimmers were dispatched directly to the scene and together with the emergency services conducted a shoreline search, while the Skymed rescue helicopter conducted an air search.
“But sea conditions deteriorated during the search efforts on Saturday. Despite an extensive air, sea and shoreline search there remained no sign of the missing man,” he said.
On Sunday, November 13, NSRI Wilderness launched the NSRI rescue crafts, Ann Stratford and Spirit of Rotary.
NSRI Wilderness rescue swimmers and crew, George fire and rescue services and the EMS rescue squad resumed their shoreline search efforts, while the NSRI rescue craft conducted a sweeping sea search.
“There is still no sign of the missing man. Police divers are continuing with their search. Our thoughts are with the family of the missing man in this difficult time,” Vonk said.