Marcus Oshry, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty coxswain, said; “At 02h20 on 1 January 2012, NSRI Port Elizabeth volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a man overboard the local 36 foot yacht CAMERON (*) 5 nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Port Elizabeth.
“The yacht was reportedly returning to Port Elizabeth from a night sail with the skipper and his crewman onboard when the crewman went overboard by unknown circumstances and the skipper raised the alarm while beginning to search.
“Our NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft EIKOS RESCUER IV and SPIRIT OF TOFT and on arrival on-scene we joined the yacht searching for the missing man, believed to be aged in his late 40’s (*), from Port Elizabeth.
“During a search the lifeless body of the man was found floating in the water by the NSRI and he was recovered and NSRI medics commenced Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) while bringing him to our sea rescue base where Guardmed paramedics continued CPR but after all efforts to revive the man were exhausted he was declared dead.
“The Police were summoned and an inquest docket has been opened.
“The body of the man has been handed into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services.
“The name of the victim and details of the skipper (a local male approximately in his 50’s) are being dealt with by the Police (as part of the investigation into the incident) and who were tracking down family of the deceased and NSRI have no further details.”
* Editor’s Notes: The drowned man is known to me, is 55 and leaves behind children and granchildren. Just 2 days ago Ashley was telling the Longhair and I that he would be sailing down to Cape Town on a delivery of the Cameron – a local 37 foot Mediteranean Yacht that had been sold. The skipper was NOT a local but commissioned by the new owner to deliver Cameron to Cape Town. Apparently the delivery was postponed as Ashley was feeling unwell and he phoned his girlfriend, to tell her that he was returning to the port, just before going overboard near the Bell Buoy. Our deepest condolences to Ashley’s family, girlfriend and fellow Algoa Yacht Club members.
Alan Straton
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Friends and Family of Ashley Brandt are invited to memorialise him at the ABYC on Monday 2 January 2012 at 13h00 – See post on ABYC web site: RIP Ashley Brandt