Three rescue workers have been confirmed dead and two others remain missing after a fast rescue boat overturned during an emergency operation off South Africa’s Western Cape coast, maritime authorities said.
The accident occurred on 30 September about 47 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay after a crewmember from the rescue tug Umkhuseli reportedly fell overboard while carrying out duties on deck.
According to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) on Thursday, four crewmembers launched a fast rescue boat from the tug to recover the individual. The vessel later capsized, leaving all five seafarers in the water.
A large-scale search and rescue operation involving maritime and aviation assets was launched by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Cape Town.
Nearby vessels were diverted to assist while the National Sea Rescue Institute and South African Police Service water wing and helicopter crews joined the effort.
Three bodies were subsequently recovered, while two people remain unaccounted for.
The search was suspended overnight and resumed at first light on 1 October before being called off later in the day.
“Following a comprehensive assessment of the search and rescue operation and consideration of all available information, the active search and rescue was concluded,” SAMSA said in a statement.
The Umkhuseli, operated by South African marine services company African Marine Solution (AMSOL), was working near an offshore platform at the time of the incident. The tug is contracted to South Africa’s Department of Transport as an emergency towing and response vessel.
AMSOL confirmed that all five seafarers involved in the accident were company employees.
JN/APA