Three Dead, Two Missing After Rescue Boat Capsizes Off South Africa

Three seafarers have died and two remain missing after a rescue boat capsized during an emergency response from the South African emergency towing vessel Umkhuseli.

The incident occurred Wednesday, September 30, while the vessel was conducting safety standby operations about 47 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay, according to operator African Marine Solutions, or AMSOL, and the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). 

Preliminary information indicates that a crew member fell overboard while working on deck. Four other crew members launched a fast rescue boat from the Umkhuseli in an attempt to recover the seafarer, but the rescue boat subsequently capsized, putting all