Missing Sodwana fishermen found on beach
The four had left Sodwana Bay at about 6am on their seven-metre Cobra Cat 'Meerkat' to fish at the 500m depth mark and should have returned by 2pm.
FOUR fishermen feared missing at sea by family members at Sodwana Bay, were located unscathed late on Saturday night, walking northwards from Leven Point, north of Cape Vidal after their boat ran out of fuel.
According to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), the Richards Bay base was activated just after 5pm on Saturday after receiving a call from a man requesting assistance in the search for his son and three fishermen.
The four had left Sodwana Bay at about 6am on their seven-metre Cobra Cat ‘Meerkat’ to fish at the 500m depth mark and should have returned by 2pm.
Spirit of Richards Bay and Spirit of Round Table were launched. The search started at Cape Vidal and proceeded in a grid search northwards towards Sodwana.
Simultaneously, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife officers began a shore patrol heading southwards.
At about 10pm, it was discovered that the man who had reported the fishermen missing had run out of cell phone battery power earlier in the afternoon and was communicating with NSRI via an Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife cell phone, and had missed numerous phone calls from his son throughout the afternoon and evening.
The messages said Meerkat had run out of fuel and the fishermen had beached the boat at Leven Point.
They were safe and walking northwards on the beach. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife officers located the four and delivered them safely to Sodwana after pulling their boat further up the beach.
The fishermen made alternative arrangements to collect the boat on Sunday.
@TamlynJolly
