‘Extensive search’ for angler missing at sea

A FISHERMAN was swept off rocks at Voëlklip, Herolds Bay, the NSRI said.

NSRI Wilderness deputy station commander Torsten Henschell said the search was activated at 7.18pm on Monday.

The fisherman was fishing from rocks with friends when he was swept into the sea by large swells. Henschell said the man, “believed to be a strong swimmer”, was encouraged by friends to swim away from the jagged rocks towards Herolds Bay. But they lost sight of him as night fell.

Despite an extensive search, he has still not been found. Community members also helped in the search, using their car headlights to illuminate the shoreline.

“NSRI Mossel Bay launched their sea rescue craft, which brought additional spotlights to aid in the search from the seaside, but no sign of the fish- erman has been found,” Henschell said. The search continued into yesterday.

In another incident, in Melkbosstrand, NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: “A woman claimed her boyfriend, a 51-year-old male from Table View, had launched to paddle on his paddle-ski, at Melkbosstrand at about 1pm. He failed to return and his vehicle remained parked at a Melkbosstrand beachfront parking.”

Lambinon said a shoreline and sea search was launched. But, soon after the search started, police saw the man return to the parked vehicle.

“According to the man he had been swept out to sea by strong winds. He estimates he had been swept about 5km out to sea, but he had later been able to reach the shore about 3km north of the Koeberg Power Station. – ANA