Sailors’ Society support shipwrecked crew
29/08/2023
Sailors’ Society Crisis Response Network is supporting survivors of a shipwrecked trawler in South Africa.
The global maritime welfare charity, which is supported by Wescom Group, is also comforting the families of the seven crew members, four of whom died when the fishing trawler was shipwrecked on rocks in rough seas off the Southern Cape coast.
The search and rescue operation was triggered by a distress signal received from the vessel in the Gouritzmond area of the Mossel Bay coast.
The skipper and one crewman were rescued and treated for hypothermia. Four bodies were later recovered and one man remains missing.
Sailors’ Society CEO, Sara Baade, says, “Sadly, shipwrecks still happen and the loss of these lives will devastate the families and community they live in. For the family of the missing man, the wait will be unbearable and the survivors will be suffering from extreme trauma.
“But thankfully our crisis response team are there. They can support them all, offering practical assistance and chaplaincy support. And this will continue for as long as it is needed.
“For seven years, our Crisis Response Network has been a highly effective global response programme that can provide the much-needed 24/7 care and support to seafarers and their families following critical incidents such as this.”
Wescom Group has sponsored the Sailors’ Society Wellness at Sea conference and several staff members have been ambassadors.
Source: Sailors’ Society
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