A commercial fishing boat capsized at Umgababa Main Beach on Tuesday, leaving three rescued, and one missing as extensive search efforts continue.
Umgababa fishing boat tragedy: Search still on for missing fisherman
The boat, a 5.5-metre rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), carried four local men when it overturned in the backline surf zone.
eThekwini municipal lifeguards were the first to respond, quickly supported by NSRI Rocky Bay, NSRI Durban, the SA Police Services, Police Search and Rescue, Netcare 911 ambulance, eThekwini Fire and Rescue Services, KwaZulu EMRS, Metro Search and Rescue, and the KZN surf lifesaving network.
Three of the men were rescued and brought to shore by lifeguards and fellow fishermen in the area.
Tragically, one of the rescued men, the skipper, was suspected to have suffered a medical condition upon reaching the beach.
Despite extensive CPR efforts by Netcare 911 paramedics, eThekwini lifeguards, police medics, and an NSRI lifeguard, the skipper was declared deceased after all attempts to resuscitate him failed.
“The deceased man has been taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services,” a NSRI rep noted in a statement.
A comprehensive search continues for the remaining missing man.
The search efforts include a private aircraft and a police helicopter conducting aerial surveillance, while police, NSRI, emergency services, and eThekwini lifeguards conduct shoreline searches.
eThekwini lifeguards have also launched surf rescue crafts to extend the search beyond the surf zone.
Despite extensive air, sea, and shoreline searches, there has been no sign of the missing man.