Despite the wreckage of their boat being found, the family of two missing fishermen are still hopeful that they will be found alive.
The friends, aged 56 and 40, and believed to be from Bellville and Ruyterwacht, were fishing off the coast of Die Poort in Strand when they were reported missing to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
According to NSRI Gordons Bay station commander Alan Meiklejohn, NSRI Gordons Bay, Kleinmond, Strandfontein and Simon’s Town were activated to respond to reports of the two men gone missing at 8.44am on Monday.
“Four NSRI rescue craft and an AGA helicopter launched an air and sea search while NSRI rescue vehicles conducted shoreline patrols between Kleinmond and Macassar in the extensive search,” Meiklejohn said.
“An all-ships alert was posted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services and they assisted in marine VHF radio communications.”
On Tuesday, a boat wreck believed to be the men’s was discovered, but there were no signs of either of them.
“During the search, the small boat was located broken up and washed up into a crevice along the rocky shoreline between Gordon’s Bay and the Steenbras river mouth,” Meiklejohn confirmed, adding that the search would continue.
A family member of one of the men indicated that they are not losing hope of finding the two.
“Ons glo dat hulle gevind sal word. God does wonderful things, so we hope,” the woman said.
Police have also launched an investigation into the disappearance of the two men.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za