A “rogue” sailor who died in mysterious circumstances off Cape Agulhas in an unseaworthy yacht may keep his secrets on the seabed.
Maritime sources said this week it was still unclear whether they could recover the body of Darrol Hansen, which lies at a depth of 60m inside his sunken boat Panacea.
Hansen set off from Saldanha on August 3, on an ill-advised quest to reach Mossel Bay in spite of warnings from maritime authorities and against the advice of fellow sailors. His inshore racing yacht lacked vital safety equipment, and he sailed into a storm with waves reaching at least the height of his mast.
He had a prosthetic leg and moved with difficulty, but was a skilled and experienced sailor.
The boat sank before authorities could retrieve Hanson’s body in spite of efforts to tow the vessel to shore. The yacht lies 12 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay.
A week after leaving the Port of Cape Town, where his vessel was briefly impounded when he stopped for repairs, his family raised the alarm, prompting a rescue operation. His vessel lacked a tracking device, but was eventually spotted by a passing ship, and later located with the help of an air force helicopter. A National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) volunteer was lowered on to the vessel where Hanson’s body was discovered inside the waterlogged cabin.
The boat sank before authorities could retrieve Hanson’s body in spite of efforts to tow the vessel to shore. The yacht lies 12 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay.
Hansen’s mother and siblings live in Mossel Bay, and his daughter arrived this week from Canada. They declined to respond to queries.
Jared Blows, chief of the Maritime Rescue Control Centre, confirmed it had issued a warning to maritime traffic to avoid the area where the yacht sank in case diving operations commence. He said the matter was in the hands of the police.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the organisation was assisting police with their investigation.
Hansen, known in sailing circles as “The Viking”, purchased and outfitted his yacht in Saldanha and was determined to reach Mossel Bay even after being advised to rather trailer the yacht overland.
Hansen lost his leg in a motorbike accident more than 20 years ago and famously survived a previous yachting accident in 2014, when he was washed up naked on the rocks near Oyster Bay with his prosthetic leg smashed to pieces. He made a full recovery and continued his sailing career.
SAPS had not responded to queries by the time of publication.
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