OCEANA NEPTUNE

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Fishing vessels saved four castaways

The crews aboard the "Oceana Neptune" and "Oceana Viking" have been commended for going to the rescue of the crew of the 40-ft-m/v "De Bona" which issued a mayday on Aug 17, 2015, at 02.15 a.m. The "De Bona", sailing from Gansbaai to Lamberts Bay, reportedg to be sinking 6,43 miles North West of Cape Point and 3,76 miles offshore of Bellows Rock, with a crew of four onboard. They had departed Gansbaai on Aug 16 at 8 p.m., and on rounding Cape Point in rough sea conditions in a gusting 38 knot South Easterly wind and a confused sea swell of over 4 meters, at 1.45 a.m. the vessel listed to one side with water in a diesel tank. At 02.15 a.m. they broadcast a Mayday distress call confirming their coordinates and confirming that they were preparing to abandon ship. It was suspected that they may have developed a crack in the diesel tank. The crew had no time to retrieve their life jackets and abandoned the vessel into their life raft climbing off the nose of their vessel which completely sunk shortly after they abandoned their vessel into their life raft. The "Oceana Neptune" and "Oceana Viking" which had been 35 miles off Sea Point at the time, had heard the Mayday distress call on their VHF radio and queried to Telkom Maritime Radio Services if anyone had acknowledged the Mayday distress call. The vessel "Harvest Saldanha" was believed to be two hours from the scene and three ships were standing by in the area. The skippers of the "Oceana Neptune" and "Oceana Viking" who were 27 nautical miles off Sea Point, confirmed that they were diverting to make their way towards the scene. The NSRI Simonstown were alerted and launched the lifeboat "Spirit of Safmarine III". The NSRI Hout Bay responded with the "Nadine Gordimer" and "Albie Matthews". At 04.35 a.m. the "Oceana Neptune" and "Oceana Viking" confirmed that they were in the general area and could see the light of what they believed to be the life raft wich was being blown rapidly across the ocean in the gusting 38 knot winds. The castaways in the life raft were requested by Telkom Maritime Radio Services to deploy a red distress flare. Once deployed, it confirmed to the "Oceana Neptune" and "Oceana Viking" to be the life raft. On reaching the raft they were at first not comfortable to pick up the casualty crew out of the life raft in the rough seas and stood by at the life raft and confirmed that all four crew were not injured despite being cold and wet. The life raft was 5.99 miles North West of the sunken vessel, having being blown that distance away in the gusting winds- With the nearest sea rescue vessel at that stage still eight miles away the "Oceana Viking" confirmed that they and the "Oceana Viking" had formed a lee at the life-raft to shelter the life-raft from the wind and that they now felt comfortable to rescue the crew out of the life-raft. At 05.34 a.m. the castaways were successfully rescued and NSRI was contacted with the good news that all crew members were safe aboard the "Oceana Neptune". They were dried, provided warm clothing by his crew and not injured. The life-raft was recovered. The men were taken into Hout Bay harbour aboard the "Oceana Neptune". The South African Maritime Safety Authority started investigating the sinking of the "De Bona".