11 missing after trawler sinks off Cape Town, South Africa

Eleven people are reported missing after a fishing vessel sank off the South African city of Cape Town on Friday, May 17.

Local volunteer marine search and rescue (SAR) organisation the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said its duty boat crews at Hout Bay and Table Bay were activated at around 15:40 local time on Friday following reports of a trawler sinking approximately 30 nautical miles off the Atlantic Seaboard.

A Mayday distress call that was intercepted at 15:30 had been relayed to vessels in the area that responded to assist.

At least five fishing vessels reached the search area, locating and recovering nine of the 20 crewmembers who were on the trawler.

The survivors were reportedly found drifting on a liferaft and did not suffer any injuries.

The rescued fishers were subsequently brought to the Port of Table Bay and have since been handed over to representatives of the company that owned the trawler.

Three NSRI rescue craft arrived in the search area and joined fishing vessels in the SAR operation to locate the 11 missing sailors.

The SAR effort is being hampered by three- to four-metre sea swells and 10- to 15-knot winds.

The NSRI said the cause of the sinking remains unknown.