SEA RESCUE – PLETTENBERG BAY – Thursday, 09th August, 2012. 1 body recovered and 5 people still missing from overdue boat

Deon Truter, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said:

"At 20h30 on the night of Thursday, 09th August, NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a tiller boat (a small river boat), with 6 people onboard, overdue from fishing on the Keurbooms River.

"Our NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft Ian Hepburn and our Discovery rescue runner while NSRI rescue swimmers and the SA Police Force responded to the scene.

"On arrival on-scene a search commenced for 6 persons and their boat – 4 adult males (believed to be aged between 40 and 50), a 43 year old female and her 8 year old son, that were missing and overdue after reportedly been fishing on a tiller boat (a small river boat) on the Keurbooms River.

"During a search the body of the female was located and recovered by NSRI Plettenberg Bay rescuers in the river mouth in the surf and the body of the female has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.

"It is unknown at this stage if the boat and the remaining missing people were swept out of the river mouth and it is unknown what has caused their disappearance. There are no eye-witnesses to help shed light on what may have happened.

"They are all from Plettenberg Bay. The female, her son and 3 of the adult males are believed to be family members and the remaining adult males is a friend.

"A Police Dive unit has been activated and a Police Dive Unit coordinator has arrived on-scene to assist in the ongoing search and to begin preparations for the Police Dive Unit involvement in the ongoing search.

"Despite an extensive search by our NSRI rescuers and by Police no sign of the 5 missing persons and their boat has been found and an extensive search is continuing.

"Police are attending to the families of the missing persons who have mustered at the search control point which has been set up on the shore of the Keurbooms Lagoon (Poortjies)."


UPDATE TO FOLLOW


-ENDS-


Released by:


Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Communications