The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has launched an investigation after seven survival immersion suits were found drifting in False Bay over the weekend. These suits, designed to protect wearers from hypothermia in emergencies, were recovered between Saturday morning and Sunday, raising concerns about what may have happened.
“It is odd for this type of survival equipment to be found adrift or coming ashore and the mystery as to their origin deepens.”
The NSRI’s Andrew de Kock says the first suit was spotted by a member of the public on Saturday morning, offshore St James Beach.
The NSRI’s Andrew de Kock says the first suit was spotted by a member of the public on Saturday morning, offshore St James Beach.
“As the morning progressed more survival immersion suits were reported adrift in False Bay.”
The NSRI recovered three suits during operations near Seal Island and Fish Hoek Beach, with further searches leading the City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Marine Unit and NSRI rescue teams to locate more suits, bringing the total to seven.
“Another 2 survival immersion suits that were recovered on Sunday morning, 19 January – 1 close to False Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, and one at Sonwabe Beach.”
De Kock confirmed extensive efforts to rule out any distress at sea.
Advanced search technology used by NSRI Kommetjie traced the likely origin of the suits to an area around Rocky Banks, 40 nautical miles out to sea. However, no debris fields or signs of distress were found.
The NSRI now suspects that the suits were discarded by a passing sea vessel.
“Thoughts are leaning towards the possibility that these survival immersion suits, manufactured in 2015, may well have been discarded in the ocean by a passing vessel, although it remains unknown. We will continue to monitor, but we are cautiously optimistic that they are not related to any kind of disaster at sea.”
The NSRI continues to monitor the situation and urges anyone who discovers additional items to report them via their Emergency Operations Centre at 087 094 9774.
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