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Sea Rescue Cape Point

Posted 5 months, 22 days ago

Sea Rescue Cape Point
Cape Point, 15 June, 2008. All 4 crew safely rescued from life-raft after yacht capsizes. Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown Station Commander said: At 21h55 NSRI Simonstown and NSRI Gordon’s Bay were activated by the National Ports Authority following a request for urgent assistance from a female reporting that her husband, and daughter and 2 men, on a 37 foot Catamaran yacht, Genii II, had called her reporting to be taking water fast, sinking and drifting about 5 nautical miles off Cape Point and urgently needing rescue. The Skipper’s wife, Roda Jelberts, said that her husband, Hans, had told her that electrical and VHF radio failure prevented him from calling a Mayday Distress and he asked her to urgently alert a rescue. After giving his estimated position and a brief description of the emergency and the urgency of the situation the Skippers cell-phone went dead and no further communications with the skippers cell-phone could be reached. NSRI Simonstown launched rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III and Eddie Beaumont II, NSRI Gordon’s Bay launched Sanlam Rescuer, NSRI Hout Bay were activated and the Metro Ambulance and Rescue Services, a South African Air Force (SAAF) 35 Squadron Dakota fixed wing aircraft and the SAAF 22 Squadron NSRI Air Sea Rescue helicopters were placed on alert. NSRI rescue vehicles were dispatched to Cape Point and Maritime Radio Services and Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) were informed. Roda confirmed to us that the yacht has a life-raft and red distress flares on-board. Attempts by NSRI to contact the crew aboard the yacht via VHF radio or on any 3 cell-phones belonging to the 3 men on-board were unsuccessful. Shortly after launching the 3 NSRI rescue craft a 1000 foot parachute red distress flare was sighted 2 nautical miles East of Cape Point Lighthouse by coast watchers. On arrival in the vicinity of the red distress flare sightings a search commenced and a second 1000 foot parachute red distress flare was sighted by NSRI rescue crew. Further red distress hand-held flares were then sighted in the same direction and all 4 survivors were found safe and not injured aboard their life-raft and all 4 survivors, Hans Jelberts, 45, and his daughter Roda, 23, from Strand, Charles Hunting, 46, from Stellenbosch and Adrian van Reenen, 45, from Brackenfell, were rescued by Spirit of Safmarine III and brought to NSRI Simonstown’s rescue base where they were met by Roda. The life-raft was recovered and brought to NSRI Gordon’s Bay aboard Sanlam Rescuer. The casualty yacht is adrift semi-submerged in the capsize position and Maritime Radio Services are broadcasting a Navigational Warning to vessels in the area. The cause of the yacht taking water is as yet unconfirmed. The skipper estimates that they capsized about 4 nautical miles off-shore of Cape Point Lighthouse after taking water on the port side from as yet unconfirmed causes. According to the skipper they abandoned ship and drifted about 2 nautical miles in their life-raft while setting off 1000 foot parachute red distress flares at intermittent intervals. Once they spotted the rescue craft in the area they ignited hand held red distress flares to guide the rescue craft to their position. They had departed Hout Bay at 18h00 headed in the direction of Gordon’s Bay. Hans said that after releasing their life raft from the yacht it initially failed to deploy and only deployed later after numerous attempts at pulling on the deployment chord. By: Craig Lambinon Full Story »

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