MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Despite an extensive search operation, hopes have faded in the search for missing Jacob Jansen van Vuuren, 39, from Mossel Bay.

A Police Dive Unit has been briefed and police have opened a missing persons report for investigation.

Family of the missing man are being kept briefed and updated.

On Saturday 29 July, Jansen van Vuuren, visiting Gansbaai, launched a 3 meter white Crayfish Bakkie (small open fishing boat) to fish close in-shore off Gansbaai.

At 16:45 he reported motor mechanical failure of the single outboard motor on his boat and requested assistance from friends who launched a boat to assist him.

After not being able to find him, they raised the alarm and NSRI Hermanus were activated at 19:34.

According to his friends he had stated that at 16:45 he was 1.5 nautical miles off-shore of Danger Point, Gansbaai.

An extensive search was launched but yielded no sign of the missing fisherman.

Sea conditions were rough with wind speeds increasing to 40 knots Easterly and 4 to 5 meter swells in the search area during the search operation.

MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) assisted in plotting a search area, taking into account wind speeds and direction, sea drift and swells, and by Sunday late afternoon the search area had extended to some 29 nautical miles from where the fisherman was first believed to have been on Saturday afternoon.

With only a life-jacket and no additional safety gear onboard the small open boat, the cellphone battery appeared to have died by the time NSRI Hermanus were activated.

NSRI commend all involved in the extensive search and the kind donation by African Wings for the fixed wing aircraft that was able to cover an extensive search area.

NSRI continue to keep a vigil along the Cape Point coastline and ships at sea continue to be on the look-out.

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