Fishing trawler survivors in shock
The fishermen who were rescued after the Sea Harvest fishing trawler disaster say it took only three minutes for the 35-metre boat to sink.
The FV Lepanto, which carried 20 crew members, had been at sea for three days before tragedy struck on Friday, 30 nautical miles offshore from Hout Bay.
Only nine men survived after launching a life boat. They were picked up by vessels that responded to the mayday distress call.
On Wednesday Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy met with the families of the 11 missing crew and the survivors.
The minister said: “This was a difficult and painful experience, we met with the management of Sea Harvest and they shared the little that is known about the accident that occurred with the Lepanto.
“Essentially what we know is that three vessels were fishing together, roughly 30 nautical miles offshore from Hout Bay. One of the vessels encountered distress and the sister vessel issued the mayday.
“The vessel that was in distress sank very quickly. There were 9 crew that were rescued and there are 11 that are still missing, presumed to be deceased at this stage.”
The search for the missing seamen was called off on Sunday. The South African Maritime Safety Authority is now investigating the cause of the tragedy.
Creecy says the investigation will include oral and written evidence from the survivors, as well as the history of the vessel and any repairs done to it.
“The survivors are still in a state of shock and they themselves are meeting to support each other,” she says.
“I met with the family of the missing, not all were there. The situation is painful and raw. To be facing a situation of loss is terrible but to face it where there’s no confirmation of the deceased in terms of a body is a very difficult situation. They shared with me the feeling of despair.”
The families said meeting with the minister brought them clarity.
“We met with the minister and though we have clarity, we will also wait to hear what the others have to say in the next two days when we meet,” a spokesperson said.
Creecy said in the five years she’s been in the office, this was the biggest disaster she’s had to deal with.
“We’ve had a number of smaller accidents. Fishing is a very dangerous industry but we haven’t had a major industrial accident with fatalities on this scale during my tenure.”
A mass meeting with all the families will be held over the next two days with SAMSA, Creecy and Sea Harvest present.
Food and Allied Workers’ Union (FAWU) provincial secretary general Zolani Mbanjwa says the survivors briefly described the moment they realised the boat was sinking.
“They said it was a matter of minutes, three minutes, it was very quick. They can’t describe what happened, the next minute the boat was upside down.
“One of our concerns is the issue of safety at sea, we are going to call all these companies and talk about it. Sea-going employees are essential to the economy of this country but they are vulnerable ”
On Monday, Sea Harvest spokesperson Anthea Abraham said the vessel had recently gone for a mandatory service.
“She had an excellent safety track record with zero reportable safety incidents in the last five years,” said Abraham.
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Daily Voice