Cape Town – Several National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) branches are involved in the search for at least nine people missing at sea after their inflatable boat capsized between Oudekraal and Mouille Point.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said on Thursday an inflatable boat was located about 3km from Mouille Point and was suspected to have capsized between Clifton and Oudekraal in the early hours of Thursday. It was being towed back around 9.40am
One of the occupants who reportedly survived is assisting in locating those still missing at sea.
The South African Air Force, the South African Police Service and various emergency service providers are assisting in the rescue operation on the Atlantic Seaboard, which began at 8am.
After being located 3.7km from Mouille Point, the vessel was towed ashore. The search area ranges 4km from the shore from Robben Island to Oudekraal.
It has been alleged that those missing could be abalone poachers. It had been claimed that two people had swum ashore but disappeared, while a third person who safely made back onto the beach alerted the police, Netwerk24 reported.
Lambinon said earlier that there were “very conflicting reports” about the incident and "at the moment we're trying to get to the bottom of what is happening".
“There also appears to be a boat drifting about two miles off Green Point and we are trying to work out if that might have something to do with the reports we have received,” Lambinon said.
This is a developing story.