Trawler crew will remain in watery grave

Bodies will not be retrieved from the sunken trawler Lindsay because of the great depth at which the vessel lies, the ship's owners said on Wednesday.

"We have taken advice from experts and have been told that the Lindsay lies about 150 metres below the surface of sea," said Craig Bacon, a director of Viking Inshore Fishing.

He said it was too deep for divers to reach as they would not safely be able to cope with the 14 bars of pressure at that depth. Normal safety standards restrict recreational divers to about 40m, but technical divers have been known to reach 200m, diving experts explained.

"But we were also told that if any bodies did manage to escape from the vessel, the extreme cold and pressure would probably prevent them from reaching the surface," Bacon said.

The bodies of 14 fishermen from the Lindsay are still missing after the trawler and the container ship Ouro do Brasil collided off the coast of Port Elizabeth on Sunday morning.

Bacon said the Lindsay sank 9.5 nautical miles from the shore and 20nm south east of Port Elizabeth.

He said he was in daily contact with relatives of the missing fishermen who were struggling to come to terms with the disaster.

"Many still watch the horizon expecting their loved ones to come sailing back into harbour," he said.

The Lindsay operated out of Mossel Bay, a community heavily reliant on its fishing industry.

"The families contact us daily wanting to know if any bodies have been found. Any mother would at least like a grave or something to go to," Bacon said.

Investigators from the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) were interviewing the crew of the Ouro do Brasil in Port Elizabeth harbour on Wednesday. The Liberian-flagged juice transporter has been detained there for the duration of the investigation.

Spanish interpreters have been called to assist with the interviewing process, Samsa said, stating that they were still trying to determine who was at fault.

Source: www.iol.co.za