Six missing after freak wave

Port Louis - Freak waves swept away at least six people off the coast of the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues at the weekend, police said on Monday.

One person went missing after a strong swell overturned his boat off the coast of south-east Mauritius on Saturday evening, while three fishermen disappeared on Sunday afternoon off Rodrigues, a territory 560km to the east of Mauritius.

There was also no sign of two coast guards whose boat was overturned when they were searching for the missing fishermen on Sunday afternoon.

Mauritius weather services reported waves of larger than three metres off the coast of the Indian Ocean islands at the weekend, and warned of further large waves on Monday.

Two fishermen went missing on Saturday evening off the neighbouring French island of Reunion after their boat was swept away by a giant wave. - Sapa-AFP

 

Bodies found after freak waves off Mauritius...
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20070516220328923C838913

 

the Indian ocean is quite notorious for it rogue or monster waves. These things can grow to mountainous proportions and a few years ago we had a tanker in Cape town for emergency repairs after being hit by one of these wave. The hole knocked through the bow section was larger as a London double decker bus (profile view)

About 15 - 20 years ago we lost a sailboat and crew (never found) in a race from Durban to Cape Town and it is generally accepted that the "Rubicon" was taken out by such a wave......