Catamaran runs aground at Seal Point – all four crew safe

A catamaran sailing vessel ran aground at Seal Point, Cape St Francis, in the early hours of Thursday morning. All four crew members have been accounted for and are safe.

Louwrens Bezuidenhout, NSRI St Francis Bay Deputy Station Commander, said:

“At approximately 03h15 on Thursday, 1 January, the NSRI St Francis Bay duty phone was alerted by a male sailing skipper from Gqeberha reporting that his catamaran had run aground and was breaking up at Seal Point, Cape St Francis. There were four people onboard — two adult males and two females.”

NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated and responded to the Station 21 rescue base, where the rescue craft Spirit of St Francis III was launched.
NSRI Jeffreys Bay duty crew were also activated and responded from Station 37, dispatching a rescue vehicle with NSRI rescue swimmers onboard.

Gardmed Ambulance Services responded to the scene, and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port of St Francis Port Control was alerted.

In dense fog, with 1.5-metre sea swells, light winds, and severely limited visibility, an extensive search of the sea and shoreline was initiated. Initially, no sign of the grounded vessel was found.

During the search, two females — aged 13 and 19, both from Gqeberha — were found ashore on rocks and taken into the care of Gardmed paramedics. They confirmed that they had abandoned the vessel and that two adult males remained unaccounted for.

The search continued, and the two men were later located in the water approximately 100 metres offshore of Seal Point, one of them secured to a life-ring.

The NSRI rescue craft carefully manoeuvred in the swell, positioning bow-on into the incoming waves while reversing towards the casualties. Both men were successfully rescued and brought safely onboard.

The men, aged 46 (from Gqeberha) and 76 (from Port Alfred), were transported to the NSRI St Francis Bay rescue base. They were relieved to learn that the two females had been found and were safe.

The 19-year-old female and the 76-year-old man were transported to the hospital by Gardmed Ambulance Services in stable condition for further medical treatment. Both are expected to make full recoveries.

The 13-year-old female and the 46-year-old male were treated on scene for non-life-threatening injuries and are recovering.

It appears that following a change of watch during the early hours of the morning, the sailing vessel — en route from Knysna to the Port of Port Elizabeth — ran aground unexpectedly. The skipper and crew donned life jackets as the vessel began breaking apart. The skipper contacted the NSRI St Francis Bay duty phone to raise the alarm.

The skipper has confirmed that there was no opportunity to issue a Mayday distress call on the vessel’s VHF radio, as his focus was on alerting the NSRI and ensuring the safety of the crew.

It appears that one woman entered the water to swim to shore and was followed by the second, a competent swimmer and surfer, who assisted them both in reaching the rocks. Both were wearing life jackets.

The skipper and the 76-year-old male also abandoned the wreckage, wearing life jackets and carrying a life ring. They swam away from danger and further out to sea, where NSRI later located them. It is believed they may have been in the water for approximately two hours.

The casualty vessel has broken up, and some debris has been recovered by NSRI.

As a precaution, Telkom Maritime Radio Services is broadcasting an all-ships navigational warning for the area offshore of Seal Point (Seal Point Lighthouse), Cape St Francis, due to flotsam, debris, and wreckage that may still be adrift.

The South African Police Service has been notified.

NSRI commend local mariner Deon van Jaarsveld, who volunteered his private fishing vessel Caesar III, accompanied by NSRI crew, to assist in recovering debris and wreckage on Thursday.

NSRI appeal to boaters, paddlers, sailors, and bathers to exercise caution, as debris and wreckage may continue to be found at sea or washing ashore for some time, particularly in light of the full-moon spring tide peaking on 3 January.

All thoughts and care are with the four survivors and their families.