At 23h00 on Sunday the 15th of June, NSRI East London volunteer sea rescue duty crew were placed on alert by the Transnet National Ports Authority reporting the 245 meter oil tanker ALPINE AMALIA, sailing from Singapore to Angola, to be searching for a crewman fallen overboard, deep sea off-shore of Port Alfred. They also reported an additional two crewmen to be injured reportedly sustained from falls believed to have occurred during the same incident when the one crewman was swept overboard.It appears that in storm sea swells a crewman, a 47 year old Filipino, was washed overboard and an additional two crewmen were injured.The ship was conducting a search operation for the missing crewman and once the search was exhausted the plan was that they would head towards East London’s Port to have the two injured crewmen casualty evacuated to hospital by NSRI.NSRI East London and EC Government Health EMS were placed on alert.After the ship could find no sign of the crewman lost overboard, despite an extensive search, the ship headed towards East London and at 18h00, Monday, 16th June, NSRI East London launched the sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF LOTTO accompanied by an NSRI crewman who is also an EMS rescue paramedic and accompanied by Dynamic ambulance services paramedics. A Dynamic ambulance was also stationed at our sea rescue base to stand-by.We rendezvoused with the ship 5 nautical miles off-shore of East London, in 24 knot Westerly winds and a 3.5 meter swell, and paramedics and rescue crew were transferred aboard the ship where they treated the Chief Officer for a serious back injury and an Able Seaman for a dislocated wrist, a dislocated shoulder and a knee injury. Both men are from the Philippines and they are both believed to be aged in their 40’s.Both men were medically stabilised before being lowered onto our sea rescue craft secured into Stokes Basket Stretchers and paramedics continued medical treatment to both patients until we reached Port. The men have been transported to hospital by Dynamic ambulance.
The Chief Officer is in a stable but serious condition and the Able Seaman is in a stable condition.The SA Police Services have opened an investigation into the incident of the crewman missing overboard.The casualty evacuation operation was completed at 22h00.
