JUST IN TIME

A morning of fishing near Dassen Island off the Cape West Coast turned into a nightmare for a family whose boat capsized near the dolosse at Yzerfontein Harbour. Cherelle Leong recounts the group’s harrowing ordeal.

IT WAS THE JULY SCHOOL holidays and the weather apps for Yzerfontein predicted good weather for Wednesday 6 July. The Englebrecht family launched in the morning for a fishing outing and headed out towards Dassen Island. As they had many times before, they followed the familiar route to their favourite fishing spots. On board were three generations, Otto van der Merwe, an Yzerfontein resident, his daughter Dorita, her husband Bertus, and their eight-yearold son, Christian, who was hoping to catch his first fish.

As the day wore on, the weather conditions started to deteriorate with a northwesterly wind picking up, indicating a change in weather. By midday the family decided to head back to Yzerfontein. Christian had been successful with his first catch of a yellowtail and there was no reason to stay out on the water any longer. The sea had turned choppy by the time the family neared the harbour and when they were midway in their approach, a wave suddenly rose up next to them.

The family had no time to prepare as the wave crashed down, capsizing the vessel and flinging everyone into the cold water. One by one the three adults surfaced and Dorita, who had reached the capsized vessel first, was relieved to see her husband and father swimming towards the upturned hull.

But with alarm Dorita soon realised that her son was nowhere to be seen. He’d been wearing a bright orange lifejacket but it wasn’t visible anywhere in the churning sea. A fear she’d never experienced gripped her. They had to find Christian. Bertus and Otto had just started removing their shoes and some clothing to dive under the hull of the boat to search for him, when a small head emerged from under the boat. It was Christian, smiling, very pleased to be reunited with his family.

When the boat had gone over, he’d held on tight and remained inside the hull when everyone else was flung out. Fortunately, he’d found a space where there was a small pocket of air. After catching his breath, he’d tried to dive down and swim out from under the boat but the buoyancy of his lifejacket kept preventing this. He quickly realised if he wanted to get out and be reunited with his family, he’d need to take the lifejacket off. After untying it, he But with alarm Dorita soon took a deep breath and realised that her son was pulled himself under, nowhere to be seen. He’d been holding onto the upwearing a lifejacket but even the turned hull as he felt his bright orange of the lifejacket way out. Perhaps it was this sense of accomwasn’t visible anywhere in the plishment that led to churning sea. the grin as he emerged from the water.

Dorita’s sense of relief was immense: seeing her son alive and well was a moment she’ll never forget. One by one the family climbed up onto the upturned hull, relieved that they were all safe and accounted for. Their sense of security was shortlived though. The current and swells were quickly pushing them closer to the massive concrete dolosse that line the harbour wall. They weren’t out of danger yet.

Eight-year-old Christian Engelbrecht delighted with his first catch!

It was a treacherous corner to be stuck in, with waves pounding from all sides. They could stay on the upturned hull for a short while but if the current took them much closer they’d have to jump or be smashed up against the dolosse along with the boat. Except this time Christian wouldn’t have a lifejacket on and it’d be up to the adults to hold on and help keep him safe in the churning sea. Dorita doubted her ability to do this and knew they needed to get help.

As they were debating their options when Dorita felt her phone in her pocket. Thinking it would be waterlogged and of no use, she took it out anyway, and was surprised to find it was still working. She looked up NSRI Yzerfontein’s emergency number and quickly explained what had happened and that they needed the NSRI’s help, fast. After making the call, they could do nothing but wait. It felt like an eternity until her phone rang and a crew member told them that help was on the way. For Christian, his biggest concern was whether the yellowtail he’d caught earlier would still be on the boat. Héléne van Zyl, an Yzerfontein crew member, happened to be at the base when the call came through. She quickly activated the crew to respond and called The upturned hull with André Livingstone-Louw, the Engelbrechts was the duty coxswain. The upturned hull with the indeed drifting dangerously Engelbrecht family was close to the harbour indeed drifting dangerwall; the NSRI would have ously close to the harbour to launch immediately. wall; they’d have to launch immediately. Back at the station the crew wasted no time launching. It had been just over 15 minutes since the call had come through when they exited the harbour. The casualty vessel had already drifted into the danger zone where there was little room to manoeuvre. Trying to come alongside to get them off the upturned hull would be extremely challenging. André knew that the safest option would be to get them away from the harbour wall first. The crew had a towline prepped and ready, they just hoped the casualties would be able to connect it.

The family is assisted onto the rescue vessel. This page: The upturned hull is secured.

Approaching cautiously, the NSRI crew shouted they were going to throw a line, signalling to Bertus and Otto to attach it to the towing eye. As the hull was drifting closer to the dolosse with every minute that went by, it was critical to get the towline attached as quickly as possible. They’d only have one throw attempt. Fortunately, this went according to plan and as soon as the towline was connected the rescue vessel proceeded to slowly tow the upturned hull with the family still on board, away from the harbour wall. Once in calmer waters, the towline was detached and all four casualties were evacuated off the upturned hull onto the rescue vessel. With the risk of hypothermia, they were taken straight back to the base to be medically assessed and warmed up. On the jetty they were met with blankets and ushered inside the base to warm up and take a hot shower.

While crew at the base took over care of the family, André and his crew returned to the capsized boat that was adrift just outside the harbour. It was so waterlogged that attempts at sea to right it were unsuccessful. They then towed it to the jetty and slipway so that it could be recovered from the water.

For the Engelbrecht family, recovering the boat was the least of their concerns. The biggest relief and most important thing was that they were all safely on land, their family intact. The outcome could have been very different. Now there is a chance for other fishing days and hopefully many more family memories in the making.

For young Christian it was a day of many firsts, some of which his family hope never to repeat. His sharp thinking and bravery in getting himself out from under the hull all on his own is certainly what stands out – a feat many adults may have struggled to achieve. Well done, Christian, on your amazing display of courage in getting out from under the hull.