THERE was drama off the Zululand coast on Monday morning as a skiboat took in water and flipped within seconds after a bilge pump failed.
Wearing life jackets, five anglers aboard the boat ‘Mini Opera’ clung to the overturned hull for about 45 minutes before being rescued by a nearby skiboat crew.
‘It was such a sudden thing,’ said experienced skipper Louis Botes.
‘The pump failed and as the boat listed slightly a wave rolled right in and it simply turned over in slow motion.’
‘We could see another boat in the area and fired flares which they did not notice, and I also lit a hand-held flare.’
Eventually they blew a whistle and the sound carried to the skiboat ‘Islander’, which rendered assistance.
At the same time, crews from NSRI Station 19 and the police ORS Border Control Diving Section also responded.
The skiboat was righted by Sea Rescue’s Spirit of Richards Bay, which towed it back in increasingly difficult conditions.
None of the Mini Opera crew was injured and they did not require medical attention.
‘They were very lucky,’ said NSRI Station Commander Dorian Robertson.
‘The incident took place about 14 miles south of Richards Bay and 10 miles offshore.
‘Had there not been another boat in the area, it may well have had a very serious outcome.’
