21 crew of a South African fishing vessel were plucked to safety onto other vessels as fire took hold and engulfed Silver Dorado.
Silver Dorado was roughly a mile off Noordhoek, Gqeberha when the alarm was raised by both witnesses and a distress call from the vessel.
National Sea Rescue Institute rescue vessels and shore teams were dispached to the scene. Local fishing vessel Legugu was first on the scene and deployed its own life rafts to assist casulaties in the water as Silver Dorado’s entire crew abandoned ship.
12 of the fishermen were recovered onto Legugu, while fishing vessel Raka rescued four fishermen, Maverick picked up another four and one man was rescued by Vulcan. All 21 crew were reported to be accounted for and safe.
The origin of the fire has not been established, but it appears to have taken hold rapidly. It was discovered by the skipper, who woke the rest fo the crew who were asleep while the vessel was in transit from Port Elisabeth to fishing grounds. The skipper was able to transmit a distress call, but there was not time to deploy Silver Dorado’s own life rafts.
The 21 crew were transferred onto NSRI rescue craft Bay Guardian, while the stricken vessel continued to drift towards Cape Recife, still alblaze, monitored by NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha. The rescued crew were all medically assessed by EMS paramedics and all confirmed to be uninjured and requiring no medical care.
According to SAMSA, the owners have appointed a salvage and spill response company who are monitoring and attempting to gain access to the vessel. The cause of the fire will be investigated by SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) and by police.
