GQEBERHA - "We can't believe we're alive."
Those are the words of 21 fishermen pulled from the sea near Gqeberha on Monday night.
The National Sea Rescue Institute confirmed that local fishing vessel Silver Dorado caught fire at sea, and the crew had to jump ship.
Shaun Geswindt is one of the 21 fishermen who survived a fire on their vessel on Monday night.
"We were all lucky that it didn't explode. Because that fire was so big next to that gas cylinder, what if it had exploded? Or what if the diesel exploded?
"Because at that point we were on a bomb in the water," he said.
Thando Maqhutyana said he was sleeping below deck when he heard people screaming.
"I grabbed a life-jacket and told the others to hurry, the flames were spreading fast. During the headcount, we realised one guy was missing," he said.
"Two fishermen bravely rushed back into the flames with a life jacket and brought him to safety."
Anele Mdwinwa said he jumped into shark-infested waters.
"I didn't care if they got me or not. I saw help coming, so I took the chance. If the sharks took me, it was meant to be.
"I swam to the other boat, and luckily we all made it out alive," he said.
The fishermen claim the Silver Dorado wasn't seaworthy.
The fishermen's union says their members face tough conditions and are exploited by companies.
SAMSA said it continues to work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure safety, pollution prevention, and compliance with maritime regulations.
The owner of the boat, Talhado Fishing Enterprises, says they are not commenting while the SAMSA investigation is still ongoing.
- The fishermen spoke exclusively to eNCA reporter Nceba Ntlanganiso.