Minister Beverley Schäfer calls for investigation into catamaran incident

Minister of Economic Opportunities, Beverley Schäfer will be requesting a full report from SAMSA and the NSRI to understand the circumstances under which a catamaran carrying five UK tourists capsized last night.

The NSRI had to rescue the five, plus three crew members after the boat capsized during a sunset cruise last night.

Schäfer said: “I would like to request a full report as to the cause of the accident so that we are assured that all standard operating procedures and safety precautions were undertaken during the trip,” she said.

Schäfer said that boat tourism was a popular pastime for visitors to the province, and the industry needed to be operating under the highest safety standards.

“I am grateful that there was no loss of life in this incident, and that the NSRI found everyone wearing lifejackets. However, we need to be assured that all safety protocols were in place,” she said.

Minister Schäfer thanked the NSRI and emergency services for their assistance during the rescue and sends her good wishes for a quick recovery to all those involved.

“As we enter the busy tourist season, it’s imperative that all of our visitors are safe. We appeal to tour operators to ensure all safety measures are in place. We also remind visitors that it is a good idea to save emergency numbers in their phones,” Schäfer said.

Visitors are able to contact the Department of Economic Development and Tourism’s tourist safety and support program on 082 554 2010 or on info@tourismsafety.co.za