NSRI rescues boat in Herolds Bay

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS -The NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, André Fraser, despatched a duty crew on Monday, 13 August at 13:45 following reports from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) research boat DEREK 1 having rope fouling the motor propellers.

The 13-metre craft was dragging anchor in heavy surf and may have been at risk of running aground from half a nautical mile offshore of Herolds Bay, with seven crew on board in three-metre swells.

The NSRI Wilderness sea rescue craft, Spirit of Rotary, was launched on Monday, 13 August in Wilderness and the NSRI Wilderness sea rescue craft Lavenia was towed to Herolds Bay and launched at Herolds Bay while the NSRI Mossel Bay sea rescue craft, Rescue 15, was launched from Mossel Bay, accompanied by a salvage diver.

"We were not aware at that stage that the local Mossel Bay private boat Proppies, skippered by Jacobus van der Bank, the son of the salvage diver, Kobus van der Bank, that we had on board Rescue 15, had heard of the ordeal while they were approaching Mossel Bay harbour from the Gouritz River side and already being on the water and able to reach the scene quickly. The skipper of Proppies had diverted course to also respond to see if he could be of any assistance at the casualty boat.

"When sea rescue arrived on the scene Proppies already had a towline attached to the casualty boat and was holding her offshore and we believe this quick reaction saved the casualty boat DEREK 1 from running aground," Fraser said.

The NSRI Mossel Bay came to the rescue of this research boat that had rope fouling the propellers.

The NSRI Wilderness sea rescue craft remained on the scene for safety reasons and as a platform for the salvage diver to operate from.

NSRI Mossel Bay's deep sea rescue craft Rescue 15 took over the tow from Proppies and towed the casualty boat DEREK 1 to deeper water, where the salvage diver, with his son standing by, the skipper of Proppies, was able to cut all line free of the motors and DEREK 1 was able to motor to Mossel Bay harbour under her own steam and no further assistance was required.

The NSRI commends the skipper and crew of Proppies for their swift action.

NSRI Mossel Bay station commander André Fraser.