This morning, we reported on a very tragic accident that happened over the weekend in Hout Bay. A charter boat (the Miroshga) – carrying 39 people – capsised near Duiker Island around 15h00 on Saturday.

Two people drowned. John Roberts, a crew member, was hauled out from 21m under the water. It is believed that he saved the life of a young passenger by giving him his life jacket, and Peter Hyett, a British tourist, also passed away.

The accident left two British women trapped in an air pocket under the catamaran for nearly four hours before they were rescued. Of those rescued, 24 people were hospitalised for further medical treatment. Twelve people did not require hospitalisation and were assessed and treated for hypothermia before they were released.

In an interesting turn of events, a group of nine poachers were believed to have rescued 18 people from the freezing water. Their boat was close by, and they saw the emergency flares and rushed over to help. “Whether people are going to acknowledge it or not, if it hadn’t been for the poachers, more people would have drowned,” said Sean Amor, skipper of the Extravagance, who also came to help passengers of the capsised charter boat.

The SA Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) deployed a tug boat to recover the Miroshga and launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Below, all the footage taken at the scene shortly afterwards can be seen:

[Sources: iAfrica, News24]