Fishing company Sea Harvest says it’s devastated by an incident in which one of its vessels sank – with crew on board off Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard.
A total of 20 fishermen were on board the MFV Lepanto – when it sank about 60 kilometres off Hout Bay on Friday.
Fortunately, nine fishers were found unharmed, but 11 fishermen are still missing and are presumed dead.
The search for them was called off on Sunday.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) says a review of the search efforts, and the unfavourable weather, led the rescue teams to conclude the search and rescue effort.
SAMSA is probing what led to the sinking of the vessel, which according to reports had a good record.
Sea Harvest’s Chief Operations Officer, Konrad Geldenhuys says they will fully co-operate with the authorities, who are investigating the incident.
“We have been in ongoing contact with the families, with a senior team and a counsellor visiting each family of the missing men today. We will continue to support them, as well as the rescued men and their families. We are also providing updates and counselling for our broader employee base, as this has been extremely upsetting and sad for all of us. We are working closely with the relevant authorities, primarily the South African Maritime Safety Authority, to establish the cause of the accident as soon as possible.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called for prayers for the families of the missing fishermen.
“On behalf of the City of Cape Town, I extend my support and prayer to those families of those still missing out at sea. We continue to be on standby to offer all necessary support”.
Logo: Sea Harvest (Facebook)
