Christy Jordaan, 59, and his son Brandon 36, were found near Saldanha Bay today, 3 May, after enduring two nights and almost three days adrift in their boat in rough seas off the West Coast.
They were found and rescued by a passing fishing boat Adamas at about 3 pm today. They are in good spirits although exhausted and dehydrated. They have been sent to hospital as a precautionary measure.
Both fishermen were missing since 1 May. They were brought safely to Saldanha Bay harbour. They were met by a huge crowd of cheering well-wishers, including Christy’s wife, Brenda, family members, Sea Rescue Mykonos volunteers, SA Paramedic Services, SA Police Services, Transnet National Ports Authority officials, local fishermen and harbour employees
The men lost engine power and were adrift in thick fog when they raised the alarm on Wednesday afternoon. They had warm clothing and life-jackets. They expended all of their red distress flares on their first night adrift, flares which were unseen. Plus their cell phone battery died on Thursday morning at around 9 am.
A sea, air and shore search operation was on- going and included sea rescue boats and shore patrols from NSRI Mykonos, NSRI Table Bay, a police boat, a Pplice helicopter, an Air Force Dakota fixed wing aircraft and scores of private fishing boats.
Based on their original estimated position the search, having covered all of the immediate area off-shore of Paternoster had shifted Northwards following natural drift patterns and today the search reached as far as beyond Lamberts Bay and up to 20 nautical miles off-shore. The two men were found further South off-shore of Saldanha Bay by chance by the passing fishing boat that was not involved in the search.
It is suspected that in the fog conditions they may have wandered way out of the area that they considered themselves to have been in possibly leading to the North Westerly winds brought in with a storm pushing them Southward.
Adamas made slow progress in the rough seas after rescuing the two men and they arrived in Saldanha Bay harbour at around 5 pm this evening. Their boat was towed to Saldanha Bay harbour by Adamas.
All sea rescue resources then returned to base.
(edited)
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