Hopes are fading for the survival of two anglers who went missing on Friday between the Hole-in-the-wall and Coffee Bay.
The distraught family of one of the anglers, Bongani 'Ace' Bana, in the village of Hole-in-the-wall, said it was a tough time for them.
Richard Joseph Sham, 50, and Bana were initially reported missing at the Coffee Bay police station.
Bana's family said they last saw him on Thursday.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Zukisa Bana, 28, said her brother-in-law was always in the company of visiting, white fisherman. She described him as a good fisherman.
“This is the end of the third day and they have not been found. We are now losing hope of finding them alive. Now we just want his remains, so we can bury his bones. That will bring us closure. The family is traumatised and my mother-in-law is very devastated. The police rescue team came on Sunday and there was a helicopter, but they left without finding them. The family is holding prayer meeting every day with the hope that there could be a miracle.
“We sleep and wake up hoping that the next day they will be found. We call upon a God to intervene,: said Bana.
She said that the hair that was found was believed to be some of the dreadlocks of her brother-in-law.
“While we do not want to sound like prophets of doom, but we must prepare ourselves for the reality of the end," she said.
When the Dispatch visited Coffee Bay and Hole-in-the-Wall on Monday, there were no signs of any search-and-rescue team, and the coast was quiet.
Life guards operating on the two beaches said they had joined the search-and-rescue team on Sunday.
Life guard Zolile Rixi said there were not many incidents of fishermen drowning, but, "on Sunday there was the one SAPS search-and-rescue person and he was called to three reported drowning incidents, at Hole-in-theWall, at Dutywa and KwaBhaca.- DispatchLIVE
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