RESCUE OPERATIONS / 8 SEPTEMBER 2013

NSRI Port Edward assist with medical care

Alan Stilwell, NSRI Port Edward duty controller, said:

'At 20h00 (Saturday, 07th September) NSRI Port Edward station commander, Mick Banks, was asked to assist Police at a medical call at a tavern at Gamalate informal settlement, Port Edward.

'It appears that in the absence of available ambulances Police requested medical support from the NSRI to assist at a tavern where a fight had reportedly left two men injured from knife wounds.

'Mick Banks, our station commander, responded with his medical kit and on arrival on-scene assisted Police treating two men with severe lacerations from knife wounds reportedly sustained from a knife fight.

'Mick activated Netcare 911 private ambulance service and they transported an adult male to hospital in a critical condition.

'A second man, in a serious condition, continued to be treated by Mick on the scene.

'A KZN-EMRS rescue vehicle arrived on the scene but they confirmed that there remained no ambulances available to transport the injured man to hospital as all ambulances were tied up on medical calls that were already in progress.

'A Medivac private ambulance service was then activated and they transported the adult male to hospital in a serious condition.

NSRI have no further details on the conditions of the patients after they left our care by ambulance.