Six crew aboard a fishing boat off Cape Agulhas scrambled to safety on a nearby vessel minutes before theirs began sinking.
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With just minutes to spare, six crew aboard a fishing boat off Cape Agulhas scrambled to safety on a nearby vessel before theirs began sinking yesterday.
The drama unfolded about 12 nautical miles off-shore.
“We were totally shocked, but we didn’t have time to panic,” one of the lucky fisherman, Humphries Joorst, said later yesterday, speaking at skipper Henry Banton’s Struisbaai home.
Banton told Weekend Argus the entire crew of The Piranha escaped unharmed. The others were Phillip Gabriel, Quinton Arendse, Willem Groenewald and Pannie Riddles.
“Our speed kept dropping and we couldn’t understand why,” Banton said. “Our computer showed a problem but we just couldn’t find it. I kept my cool and decided to check out the engine first before telling the crew to avoid panic.”
He and Joorst checked the engine, only to find the compartment completely flooded.
Joorst said: “Another five minutes and the boat would have sunk.”
Two nearby boats, Peg-Leg and Wit Blitz, responded immediately to their calls for help, with the Wit Blitz picking up the crew. They tried to tow The Piranha to shore, but their efforts proved fruitless.
“With our pumps about to give in, and the boat sinking, we had to abandon the ship as a safety precaution,” Joorst said.
When the National Sea and Rescue Institute arrived, they towed The Piranha to safety in Struisbaai harbour.
The vessel had undergone a similar problem a few weeks ago. But they were assured by engineers that it was not serious.
“It wasn’t even on the water for two days and this happens,” said Joorst. - Weekend Argus