Skipper dies after boat capsizes at Port Alfred

A BOAT skipper in his 60s died and another man suffered minor injuries when their ski-boat capsized at the Kowie River harbour entrance in Port Alfred early on Saturday.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) station commander Juan Pretorius said the incident took place at 6.42am, when the vessel capsized in swells of between three and four metres at the river mouth.

“NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following reports of a boat capsized by waves in the Kowie River mouth while exiting the harbour to go to sea with two men on board.

“The sea rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha was launched and our sea rescue vehicle with NSRI rescue swimmers, EC government health EMS and the police responded at East Beach,” Pretorius said.

“On arrival on the scene we found the local ski-boat Diligo capsized and washed onto a sand bank in the surf line at East Beach.

“One man, in his 50s, was found safe on the beach suffering minor injuries and his friend, the skipper of the boat, a man in his 60s, was missing in the surf.”

Pretorius said the body of the man was located in shallow surf at East Beach and recovered by NSRI rescue swimmers.

“He was declared deceased by paramedics.”

The station commander said the body of the victim, who was from Johannesburg but who had recently relocated to Port Alfred, had been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.

Police, who have opened an inquest docket into the death, did not release the man’s identity yesterday.