Fisherman drowns after boat capsizes

STAFF REPORTER

A FISHERMAN died after lightning struck the boat he was on, capsizing it and leaving the remaining nine crew members trapped inside the the vessel’s hull, and its captain scrambling to raise the alarm.

NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said they received reports that a chokka fishing boat had been struck by lightning at around 4am yesterday and capsized close to the shore about seven nautical miles from Port Alfred.

NSRI Port Alfred station commander Juan Pretorius said the skipper of the Kowie swam ashore to Riet Punt beach and walked four kilometres to Riet River, a small town near Port Alfred to raise the alarm.

He said the NSRI, the SA Air Force and the police responded and went in search of the fishermen and the vessel.

“On arrival at the scene, at high tide, the upturned hull of the boat was found in the surf line almost on the beach but just too far offshore for rescue swimmers to immediately reach the upturned hull because of big sea conditions.

“The body of one fisherman was discovered washed up on the beach… but no sign of the remaining nine fishermen could be found,” he said.

The fisherman was later identified as Len Strydom.

“As the tide ebbed we were able to get rescue swimmers to the upturned hull and when they banged on the hull they were surprised to hear a very clear response (a banging from inside the hull).

“One of our sea rescue volunteers works at a hardware store in Port Alfred and he immediately organised for the hardware store to be opened so that we could get tools to cut into the hull and free the men.”

At 8.08am the first survivor was pulled out.

“Jubilation went through the large crowd that had gathered on the beach as one by one the survivors were pulled from the upturned boat,” said NSRI rescue swimmer Marcus Oshry.

He said the nine survivors were flown to hospital to be medically checked and have all passed a clean bill of health.