Fatal fishing trip in Bantry Bay, Cape Town
Fatal fishing trip in Bantry Bay, Cape Town
Two well-known Cape Town fishermen drowned in a fatal fishing trip after their boat capsized in Bantry Bay.
One survivor as rescue teams act swiftly
According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), three men embarked on the fishing trip. Two drowned and one, who was transported to a hospital, survived.
The fatal fishing trip took place on the afternoon of 13 June. Eyewitnesses reported a capsized boat at the back breakers surf zone, between Saunders Rocks and Queens Beach, in Bantry Bay. Multiple emergency services responded, e.g. NSRI Table Bay, NSRI Bakoven, and the CoCT (City of Cape Town) water rescue network. The NSRI launched their Table Bay rescue craft Spirit of Day. EMS Metro Control activated the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter, accompanied by an EMS Metro rescue diver.
What happened in the fatal fishing trip?
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the three men from Cape Town’s northern suburbs, are well-known in the fishing, boating, and maritime communities. He stated that it appeared that they may have been fishing offshore of Bantry Bay when a wave capsized their boat.
NSRI rescue swimmers arrived on the scene first at Bantry Bay and entered the water. They found two men – one in his 20s and another in his 60s.
They took the younger man to shore where paramedics treated him for hypothermia and non-fatal drowning symptoms. Thereafter, an ambulance transported him to a hospital. He is recovering and in a stable condition.
The second man was unresponsive. Although paramedics used CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) on him, it was unsuccessful. He was declared deceased.
Search for missing fisherman
The third man was missing at the time. Skymed was conducting the aerial search and the NSRI rescue craft returned to the scene at Bantry Bay to assist. The NSRI rescue swimmers continued to search in the water, and emergency services members conducted shoreline searches. They found the missing man, who was unresponsive, in the surf zone. After taking the man to shore, paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, but unfortunately declared him deceased. He was also in his 60s.
Fatal fishing trip’s boat washed ashore
Following the incident at Bantry Bay, the boat washed ashore among rocks near Queens Beach. Sea Point Police patrol officers investigated the boat and the police has consequently opened an inquest docket.
The bodies of the two deceased men involved in the fatal fishing trip at Bantry Bay, were taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services in the meantime.
NSRI commended the eyewitnesses that raised the alarm and the many public bystanders who aided the rescuers at Queens Beach and at Three Anchor Bay during this tragic, sad incident at Bantry Bay.