WATCH: Successful rescue of distressed sailing yacht near Richards Bay

A local sailing yacht with seven crew onboard was successfully pulled back to safety after it experienced a mechanical failure and was drifting at sea, north of Richards Bay recently.

The yacht had departed Richards Bay two weeks when it experienced a motor mechanical failure, forcing them to turn around.

“Nearing Richards Bay, against strong south-westerly winds, gusting in excess of 15 knots and in three-to-four metre rough sea swells, they requested assistance 15 nautical miles north of Richards Bay – about four nautical miles offshore of the lighthouse,” said National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Richards Bay station commander Norman Rautenbach.

He said the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre and NSRI Richards Bay were alerted to reports from Ocean Sailing Association of South Africa, and the Commodore of the Zululand Yacht Club of the sailing yacht.

“Our duty crew responded to our NSRI Richards Bay station 19 rescue base, where the NSRI rescue craft Ocean Guardian was launched.

“On arrival on the scene, a towline was rigged, and we towed them into the Port of Richards Bay to a safe berth at the Zululand Yacht Club, and they required no further assistance.”

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