News: South Africa

Drama in Table Bay As Robben Island Ferry Takes On List

All passengers and crew of the casualty ferry THANDI were transferred by NSRI’s Spirit of Day from the casualty ferry and from life rafts onto the Madiba 1 and onto NSRI’s Spirit of Vodacom and brought to the Port of Table Bay where they were assessed by paramedics, with a few passengers requiring treatment for mild hypothermia. Pictures: NSRI Table Bay
There was drama aplenty in Table Bay on Friday (15 September) when the Robben Island ferry THANDI began to list causing fears that she might capsize, with passengers taking to life rafts.
The ferry, which operates between the Victoria & Alfred waterfront and Robben Island out in Table Bay, began taking in water while out in Table Bay with 68 people on board, including the crew of four. As she began to fill with water and began to list, some of the passengers were directed into life rafts while others gathered on the stern deck of the vessel.
Meanwhile a message advising that the ferry required urgent assistance was responded to by other vessels nearby and by the NSRI which dispatched several rescue craft from NRI headquarters, Table Bay, NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Hout Bay.
Also responding was another Robben Island ferry, MADIBA 1 which was first to arrive on scene. With the arrival of the NSRI craft passengers and crew from the listing ferry were transferred across to Madiba 1 to be taken ashore at the NSRI rescue station.
Once all the passengers and crew had been safely accounted for and ashore NSRI Table Bay sent out its rescue craft Spirit of Round Table and the NSRI Hout Bay craft Albie Matthews. A towline was rigged from the sea rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom onto the listing ferry which was then towed to Murray’s Bay harbour on Robben Island.
Once safely berthed NSRI crew used water extrication pumps to pump the ferry free of water and fully right her. She was then secured to a berth at Murray’s Bay harbour.
Meanwhile, ashore at NSRI Table Bay all passengers and crew had again been accounted for and medically checked by paramedics. Two females were taken by ambulances to hospital as precautions – one a passenger who was suffering from back pain and the other a crew member of the ferry Thandi who was experiencing an anxiety episode.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) was also alerted and an investigation into the cause of the ferry taking water will take place.