Fisherman lost at sea in small Western Cape village

Emergency services are still searching for a fisherman believed to be lost at sea.

He went missing in Paternoster on the West Coast on Thursday afternoon.

Paternoster is a small fishing village situated about 145km north of Cape Town.

Initial reports suggest that, while fishing, the man’s boat ran out of fuel as he was returning to shore.

“We believe that an oar fell out of the boat and the fisherman may have jumped into the water to retrieve the oar when, in 25-knot winds, the boat drifted away from him and sight of the fisherman was lost,” said National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson Craig Lambinon.

Lambinon said the boat was towed to shore and a police dive unit was dispatched.

“Despite an extensive sea and shoreline search, there was no sign of the missing fisherman, who is from Paternoster,” said Lambinon.

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