No final decision on sea search

The National Sea Rescue Institute is investigating whether to continue Sunday's search off the Western Cape coast for the remaining crew member of a ski boat that went missing in rough seas.

Spokesperson Craig Lambinon said on Sunday night that the boat and a body - believed to be one of the two-man crew - had been found by the time the day's search ended at 16:00.

The body was found near Cape Point on Sunday.

Later efforts were concentrated in the area where the boat and the suspected crewman had been found.

Lambinon said the body was still to be positively identified, but the boat the two men were in had been found.

"We found a body, which we suspect is one of the men, but a positive identification still needs to be made," he said.

"We have confirmed that we have found the vessel, named 'Ntombi'."

The search for the ski boat that went missing in rough seas on Saturday resumed at first light on Sunday.

Lambinon said the Hout Bay and Simon's Town stations were involved in the search.

A Dakota aircraft from the Ysterplaat Air Force base in Cape Town was also being used.

He said the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre had plotted the boat's suspected position.

The two men onboard the blue and black boat had set off before dawn to go fishing off Hawston reef near Hermanus when their craft developed engine problems.

The NSRI Hermanus received a call about the missing boat at 09:30.

The men were drifting in rough seas with 30 knot south-easterly winds and waves of three to four metres with a heavy sea chop.

The NSRI initially had cellphone contact with the boat's skipper, who reported that they were safe but drifting without power.

Source: www.news24.com