Cape Town – A 60-year-old solo sailor from Mossel Bay, who was reported missing on Monday last week, was found dead and still aboard his yacht over the weekend.
Since Monday evening, August 15, the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) had initiated enquiries to determine the whereabouts of the sailing yacht, with the sailor’s family growing anxious to hear word of his whereabouts and they had growing concerns for his safety, reports said.
A South African Air Force 22 Squadron Oryx helicopter found the yacht and the sailor around 30 nautical miles southwest of Stillbaai on Saturday, August 20, afternoon.
We have an update on the missing 60-year-old solo sailor from Mossel Bay.https://t.co/USPqYoiFOV
— National Sea Rescue Institute (@NSRI) August 21, 2022
“An NSRI Airborne rescue swimmer was deployed from the helicopter into the sea, he swam to and boarded the yacht where he found the sailor deceased below decks.
“With limited aviation fuel remaining the rescue swimmer placed a signalling beacon on the yacht before being recovered into the helicopter and they returned to base,” NSRI said in a statement.
The NSRI added: “An operation by authorities and the SA Police Service is under way to safely recover the body from the yacht and to safely recover the yacht.
“Family of the deceased man have respectfully requested privacy in their time of grieving the sad loss of their loved one.”
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Picture: Twitter/@NSRI
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
