Wreck of the SA Seafarer
On the 1st of July in 1966, This ship ran aground during a terrible winter storm. It went down about 50 metres from the Green Point Lighthouse parking lot on 1 July 1966 during one of the severest winter storms Cape Town has ever witnessed.
. The ship’s cargo included drums of tetra-ethyl lead, which emits a poisonous gas when in contact with water.  This caused a scare and the possibility of an environmental catastrophe. Survival for the crew and passengers seemed unlikely. Fortunately, Three Alouette choppers were deployed. Despite the obstacles, they managed to airlift all 63 crew members and 12 passengers from the stricken vessel. Miraculously, no lives were lost that day. The helicopter pilots were later awarded medals for their courageous efforts.
The wreck of the SA Seafarer was particularly threatening because of the possibility of leakage of the tetra-ethyl lead, the Mouille Point beachfront was closed to the public for a few days until divers were able to locate the drums, which were found intact. Today, the remains of the Seafarer lie on the seabed. The huge propeller shaft and countless machine parts lie strewn about. The ship was also carrying a large consignment of miniature white plastic horses, for many years these plastic toys washed up along the Table Bay coastline.
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