MOSSEL BAY NEWS - According to Deon Langenhoven, NSRI Hermanus station commander, the NSRI at Hermanus had to respond to a request for assistance from a yacht participating in the Mossel Bay Race. 

"At 23:17 on Friday, 22 September, NSRI Hermanus had to respond to a request by the Transnet National Ports Authority to assist the yacht Rev De Lune, with 4 local male crew onboard, sailing from Simon’s Town to Mossel Bay in the MBR-2017 (Mossel Bay Race – Simon’s Town to Mossel Bay) and reporting to have run aground on the Western side of Dyer Island, off-shore of Gansbaai.

"The crew confirmed that they had managed to free the yacht from the grounding and while they did not suspect structural damage they had battery failure and were unable to start their motors.

"Attempts were made by NSRI to get a battery for them from local shops but unable to get a new battery at that time of night we were not willing to waste any time to reach the casualty yacht and our sea rescue craft were launched," Langenhoven said.

The sea rescue craft South Star, crewed by Langenhoven, coxswain Deon Langenhoven, and Jean le Roux, Charl Henn and Stephan Coetzee, and the sea rescue craft Yaytee III, crewed by Andre Barnard, Coxswain, and Stephen Malherbe and Bennet Coetzee, were launched.

"On arrival on the scene we found all crew safe onboard the yacht which showed no signs of structural damage.

"A tow-line was rigged and we towed the casualty yacht to Hermanus harbour without incident, arriving at 06h00 on Saturday, 23rd September, where they re-charged their batteries and they have departed Hermanus to return to Cape Town and they are well on their way."

TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE

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