Eleven missing after South African trawler sinks

The fishing vessel got into difficulty on Friday but local officials said they had not given up hope for the men, despite air and sea searches turning up no trace.

"My prayers are with the families of those still missing at sea," said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis of the city of Cape Town.

South Africa's lifeboat organisation, the National Sea Rescue Institute, said 20 crew had been on board the missing trawler.

Nine survivors were found by other fishing vessels on a life raft after a boat issued a mayday distress call on Friday afternoon.

Lifeboats from Hout Bay and Table Bay on the Cape, along with helicopters and planes from private Cape Town operator Aerios Global were launched.

But an air and sea search has yet to find the eleven missing crewmen.