At 13h30 (Sunday, 03 November) NSRI HRU were alerted by the Transnet National Ports Authority of a 23 year old Indian crewman aboard the 249 meter bulk carrier MAERSK CONAKRY suffering suspected fractures to his hip and ankle following a fall in the ships galley earlier.
The ship was at that stage off Hermanus (sailing from Malaysia to Walvis Bay) and making good speed towards Cape Town and arrangements were made for a helicopter rescue evacuation to take place when the ship reached False Bay but later the ships Captain requested that the rescue operation take place off-shore of Green Point but with fading light, at 17h56, a helicopter rescue operation was aborted and NSRI Table Bay and NSRI Hout Bay were activated to respond to carry out the rescue operation.
Pic: Gavin Kode, NSRI Station 8 Hout Bay
NSRI Hout Bay launched sea rescue craft NADINE GORDIMER and NSRI Table Bay launched sea rescue craft ROTARY ENDEAVOR accompanied by two WC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics.
On arrival on-scene the two rescue paramedics (who were put aboard the ship) stabilized the patient, suffering suspected hip fracture and an ankle fracture, and the patient was secured into a stokes basket stretcher and lowered, by ships crane, onto the sea rescue craft NADINE GORDIMER and brought into The Port of Table Bay where the patient was transferred into an EMS ambulance and transported to the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.
Pic: Brad Seaton-Smith
