EVA SCHULTE

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Illustrated report on Wizard sinking

http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opinion/sad-to-see-her-go-1.1179068

Sailboat Crew rescued after hitting container off Maputo

Five sailors are lucky to be alive after their yacht struck a container and sank off Maputo yesterday. The crew drifted in their life raft for more than seven hours before being rescued by a tanker, and are now on board the vessel en route to Singapore. Skipper Gerrie Boshoff, of Vanderbijlpark, and the crew were sailing from Reunion to Durban when their vessel, The Wizard, struck the container in the morning. With the vessel taking on water, the crew sent a distress signal at 4.30am, which was received by the SA Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre. The centre’s rescue mission co-ordinator, Mark Steed, said that attempts to contact The Wizard were unsuccessful. “A second beacon detection from the vessel was received and a safety net broadcast to vessels in the area was put out, asking all vessels to respond and assist.” Steed said the EVA Schulte and Voge Felix, both six hours away, responded and were instructed to divert to The Wizard’s position. He said the vessels reached the distress point at 1pm, by when The Wizard had already sunk. The Eva Schulte crew found the raft with all five crew and took them aboard. With the Singapore-registered tanker bound for Singapore, The Wizard’s crew would go along for the ride before flying back to South Africa. http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/crew-rescued-after-hitting-container-1.1171484