SALDANHA BAY – Patient casualty evacuated off ship:

At 18h40 on Tuesday the 23rd of July NSRI Mykonos volunteers were placed on alert by the Transnet National Ports Authority for the container ship TOWER BRIDGE reporting to be deep sea off Port Nolloth and requiring medical assistance for a female sailor onboard suffering back pain.The ships agent requested the patient to be casualty evacuated to hospital at the earliest opportunity and the approximately 190 meter ship, heading to Gibraltar turned around to head towards Saldanha Bay while the Red Cross AMS helicopter Skymed was arranged to conduct the rescue operation early today (Wednesday, 24th July).Skymed, piloted by Mark McJannet, with winch operator and paramedic Andre Oliphant, EMS paramedic Shaheed Osmond and NSRI rescue swimmer Andre Beuster rendezvoused with TOWER BRIDGE 6 nautical miles off-shore of Saldanha Bay at approximately 09h45 today (Wednesday, 24th July), in 3 meter sea swells.NSRI rescue swimmer Andre Beuster and EMS paramedic Shaheed Osmond were winch hoisted onto the deck of the ship and they medically evaluated a 50 year old Ukranian woman in a stable condition.The patient was winch hoisted into the helicopter with the EMS paramedic and then the NSRI rescue swimmer was winch hoisted into the helicopter carrying her luggage and documents.The patient was airlifted directly to Vredenburg Life Private hospital where she is being treated for an abdominal infection and she remains in a stable condition.NSRI Mykonos volunteer sea rescue duty crew remained on high alert until the airborne sea rescue operation was completed by 10h44 today. Picture: Stephen Smit