Sailors survive after being forced to buy a raft
A group of four Sri Lankan sailors have survived by clinging onto a life raft for three days, without food or water, after their 18m fishing trawler, Deshan Lanka, sank en route to Sierra Leone after catching fire according to a report in The Daily News.
The newspaper says that the sailors launched the life raft that authorities insisted that they purchase before the voyage. The South African National Sea Rescue Institute rescued the men off Still Bay near Mossel Bay yesterday.
The Deshan Lanka was prevented from leaving the East London Harbour last month because the South African Maritime Safety Authority found that it had no safety equipment, no maritime VHF radio, life-jackets, red distress signals or life-rafts on board.
The Daily News reports that Samsa's Captain Peter Kroon refused to let the ship leave the harbour after an ad hoc inspection.
For more:
- The Daily News: Sailors rescued after 3 days at sea
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