Miss-Delectable
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Cape Times
A desperate mother was on Wednesday morning praying for the rescue of her son, Neels du Plooy, who was lost at sea after hours of drama late on Tuesday night.
Du Plooy, who is described as a gentle giant because of his size and strength, is deaf and mute.
At their home in the Strand, his mother, Miemie van Rensburg, her eyes red and swollen from lack of sleep and a night of grief, could not hide her devastation at the disappearance of her beloved son.
Du Plooy, 40, had gone fishing around 10pm on Tuesday night in a three-man wooden fishing boat off Melkbaai in the Strand.
With him had been his step-father, Hendrik van Rensburg, and another relative, Johan Delport.
The trio had been fishing in the strong south-easterly wind, which makes for favourable conditions in False Bay.
They had completed their catch of small sharks, which they were going to sell be used for dried fish "bokkems", when their boat had begun to take water.
It then capsized, far from shore, and the nightmare began.
Van Rensburg and Delport later told their family how they had swum for more than 90 minutes in the dark and churned-up sea, until they had eventually reached the shore - barely alive.
Van Rensburg phoned his wife - and broke the news to her that her son was not with them.
A rescue was launched immediately by the NSRI's Rescue 9 of Gordon's Bay, and was later joined by police divers and Metro Rescue personnel.
Between them, they combed the beach, shore-line and the sea.
The search was resumed by helicopter this morning, and the family's wooden boat was spotted 400m off-shore from Macassar beach, around 5km downwind, and recovered by the NSRI's Strandfontein unit.
All three fishermen had been wearing life-jackets, yet nothing could be seen of Du Plooy near the boat.
Back at the family home in a caravan park near the Lourens River mouth in the Strand, Du Plooy's family sat anxiously waiting for news.
Miemie described her son as a powerful swimmer and an experienced fisherman.
Her eyes welling with tears, she told how she had lost another son in a car accident in the past few years.
Miemie said Neels had not been able to work because of his disability, but that he had always had a love for the sea and had in the past worked with crayfish quota holders.
Du Plooy had been a popular member among his contemporaries within the Strand sea-loving community.
Miemie said her husband had collapsed in bed this morning - his relief at having saved his own life overwhelmed by the disappearance of his stepson.
He and Delport had told family members how they had come close to succumbing to the sea themselves, and had been guided only by the Strand Beach Road's lights, as they swam for their lives.
Residents spoke to the Cape Argus of their belief that Du Plooy's prowess as a swimmer would somehow enable him to stay alive - even after almost 12 hours at sea.
A neighbour, Brenda Bester, told Miemie van Rensburg how she, too, had lost a son at sea during the festive season - her son Fairbairn had also been fishing around New Year and had been washed from the rocks near Hangklip.
The two women clung together, sharing Miemie's grief.
At the time of going to press, rescuers were still searching the bay for any sign of Du Plooy.
Police and other officials searched the stretch of coastline between the Strand and Macassar.
The stretch is closed to the public as it belongs to AECI and Somchem, a subsidiary of arms manufacturer Denel, but it is believed that Du Plooy could have been washed up or crawled ashore.
A desperate mother was on Wednesday morning praying for the rescue of her son, Neels du Plooy, who was lost at sea after hours of drama late on Tuesday night.
Du Plooy, who is described as a gentle giant because of his size and strength, is deaf and mute.
At their home in the Strand, his mother, Miemie van Rensburg, her eyes red and swollen from lack of sleep and a night of grief, could not hide her devastation at the disappearance of her beloved son.
Du Plooy, 40, had gone fishing around 10pm on Tuesday night in a three-man wooden fishing boat off Melkbaai in the Strand.
With him had been his step-father, Hendrik van Rensburg, and another relative, Johan Delport.
The trio had been fishing in the strong south-easterly wind, which makes for favourable conditions in False Bay.
They had completed their catch of small sharks, which they were going to sell be used for dried fish "bokkems", when their boat had begun to take water.
It then capsized, far from shore, and the nightmare began.
Van Rensburg and Delport later told their family how they had swum for more than 90 minutes in the dark and churned-up sea, until they had eventually reached the shore - barely alive.
Van Rensburg phoned his wife - and broke the news to her that her son was not with them.
A rescue was launched immediately by the NSRI's Rescue 9 of Gordon's Bay, and was later joined by police divers and Metro Rescue personnel.
Between them, they combed the beach, shore-line and the sea.
The search was resumed by helicopter this morning, and the family's wooden boat was spotted 400m off-shore from Macassar beach, around 5km downwind, and recovered by the NSRI's Strandfontein unit.
All three fishermen had been wearing life-jackets, yet nothing could be seen of Du Plooy near the boat.
Back at the family home in a caravan park near the Lourens River mouth in the Strand, Du Plooy's family sat anxiously waiting for news.
Miemie described her son as a powerful swimmer and an experienced fisherman.
Her eyes welling with tears, she told how she had lost another son in a car accident in the past few years.
Miemie said Neels had not been able to work because of his disability, but that he had always had a love for the sea and had in the past worked with crayfish quota holders.
Du Plooy had been a popular member among his contemporaries within the Strand sea-loving community.
Miemie said her husband had collapsed in bed this morning - his relief at having saved his own life overwhelmed by the disappearance of his stepson.
He and Delport had told family members how they had come close to succumbing to the sea themselves, and had been guided only by the Strand Beach Road's lights, as they swam for their lives.
Residents spoke to the Cape Argus of their belief that Du Plooy's prowess as a swimmer would somehow enable him to stay alive - even after almost 12 hours at sea.
A neighbour, Brenda Bester, told Miemie van Rensburg how she, too, had lost a son at sea during the festive season - her son Fairbairn had also been fishing around New Year and had been washed from the rocks near Hangklip.
The two women clung together, sharing Miemie's grief.
At the time of going to press, rescuers were still searching the bay for any sign of Du Plooy.
Police and other officials searched the stretch of coastline between the Strand and Macassar.
The stretch is closed to the public as it belongs to AECI and Somchem, a subsidiary of arms manufacturer Denel, but it is believed that Du Plooy could have been washed up or crawled ashore.