The crew of sinking yacht Felicia have been rescued in high seas 700km off the Namibian coast by a merchant ship.
Cape Town’s Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) confirmed shortly after 5pm on Friday that the four crew members of the Felicia had been taken safely aboard the car carrier Don Pasquale.
The Don Pasquale was the second merchant vessel to speed to the assistance of the stricken Felicia, which sent out an emergency signal earlier in the day after damaging its hull and taking on water.
”The Don Pasquale has taken the four crew members on board with their luggage,” an MRCC search and rescue coordinating officer, who declined to be named, told the South African Press Association (Sapa).
He said the rescued crew were all well and not injured.
”They abandoned their yacht, which is now half-submerged and taking on water.”
The Don Pasquale had joined another car carrier at the scene, the Durban-bound Hyundai.
The MRCC officer told Sapa the four crew members would now be taken to the Don Pasquale’s next port of call, either Cape Town or Port Elizabeth.
Shortly after 8am on Friday, South African maritime authorities received a transmission via satellite from the Felicia’s emergency position-indicating radio beacon.
The signal triggered a search involving three merchant ships and a South African Air Force (SAAF) C130 aircraft.
The SAAF aircraft, which was under way to the scene via Windhoek, had been stood down, the MRCC officer said.
It is not known what caused the damage to the Felicia’s hull. — Sapa