Cape Town - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is still searching for two men who went missing while fishing off-shore of Die Poort in Strand close to Gordon’s Bay.
According to NSRI Gordons Bay station commander Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay, NSRI Kleinmond, NSRI Strandfontein and NSRI Simonstown were activated to respond to reports of the two men missing at about 8.44am on Monday, February 20.
During the initial search for the two men aged 40 and 54 years, who were identified as locals, a small boat was located broken up and washed up into a crevice along the rocky shoreline between Gordons Bay and the Steenbras River Mouth.
NSRI Gordons Bay station commander Alan Meiklejohn said the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre) were assisted by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Headquarters duty controllers and NSRI duty controllers from the 4 NSRI rescue stations to formulate a search grid.
“Four NSRI rescue crafts and an AGA helicopter launched an air and sea search while NSRI rescue vehicles conducted shoreline patrols between Kleinmond and Macassar in the extensive search.
“An all-ships alert was also posted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services and they assisted in marine VHF radio communications. However, there remains to be no sign of the two missing men,” Meiklejohn said.
The NSRI said police had launched an investigation into the incident and were also searching for the missing men.
“The search is ongoing, our thoughts are with the families of the missing men in this difficult time,” Meiklejohn said.