Four crew member on grounded catamaran escape to safety at CSF

Edited by Bev Mortimer: A Catamaran sailing vessel ran aground off Seal point Lighthouse this morning and all four crew members managed to get ashore safely.
According to the NSRI it appears that following a change of watch, early this morning, the catamaran returning to Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth from Knysna ran aground unexpectedly. The skipper and his three crew donned life-jackets. And while the vessel was breaking apart the skipper contacted the NSRI St Francis Bay duty phone to raise the alarm.
The skipper said HE had no time to call a Mayday distress on the vessel’s VHF radio – concentrating only on alerting NSRI and seeing to the safety of his crew.
It appears the two girls jumped into the water to swim ashore, and the one who was an experienced swimmer helped the other to reach the rocks where they were found by paramedics. They were both wearing life-jackets.
The skipper and the elder man abandoned the wreckage wearing life-jackets, and armed with a life ring, and they swam away from danger further out to sea where the NSRI located them. It appears that they were in the water about two hours.
The casualty vessel has broken up and NSRI have managed to recover some debris.
The NSRI St Francis Bay deputy station commander ,Louwrens Bezuidenhout, said St Francis Bay volunteer duty crew were alerted by a Gqeberha skipper reporting that his Catamaran sailing vessel had had run aground and was breaking up with four crew onboard, two men and two women.
The NSRI duty crew launched the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of St Francis III and dispatched the NSRI rescue vehicle with NSRI rescue swimmers onboard.
Gardmed ambulance services responded to Seal Point and TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of St Francis Port Control were alerted.
A sea and shoreline search started in dense fog in 1.5 meter sea swells and light winds but with minimal visibility. But no signs of the grounded Catamaran sailing vessel could initially be found. The two young girls , 13 and 19 from PE came ashore on the rocks and were taken into the care of Gardmed paramedics. They said they abandoned the sailing vessel and that the two men’s whereabouts were unknown. During the ongoing search the two men were located in the water about 100 meters offshore of Seal Point, one secured into a life-ring.
The NSRI rescue craft negotiated sea swells pointing the bow of the rescue craft into incoming waves while reversing (going aft) towards the men in the water and they were rescued safely onboard the rescue craft. The men, 46 and 76 from PE and Port Alfred respectively, were brought to the NSRI St Francis Bay rescue base. They were relieved the two girls were safe.
The NSRI suspects navigational equipment failure may have contributed to the casualty vessel running aground but at this stage this cannot be confirmed.
The elder girl and the elder man were transported to hospital in stable conditions by Gardmed ambulance – for further medical care for injuries. Both are expected to make full recoveries.
The younger girl and man were medically treated by paramedics for non-life threatening wounds and they are recovering.
As a precaution Telkom Maritime Radio Services broadcast an all ships alert navigational warning for the area offshore of Seal Point Lighthouse, where flotsam, debris and wreckage of the stricken Catamaran sailing vessel may still be adrift.
The SA Police Services were alerted.
The NSRI commended local mariner, Deon van Jaarsveld, who volunteered his private fishing boat, Caesar III, accompanied by NSRI crew, to assist NSRI in recovering debris, flotsam and wreckage during Thursday.
The NSRI and the St Francis Bay Port Captain have appealed to boaters, paddlers, sailors and bathers to be cautious. It is expected that debris, flotsam and wreckage will continue to be found adrift at sea, or washing ashore, for some time to come, especially in light of the full moon Spring tide that peaks on the 3rd of January.