Patient evacuations off ships - Struisbaai and Port Elizabeth

STRUISBAAI:Reinard Geldenhuys, NSRI Agulhas station commander, said:At 07h00, Wednesday, 15th November, NSRI Agulhas duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Agulhas and rendezvoused with the deep-sea fishing trawler Basani, 10 nautical miles South of Struisbaai.A 39 year old male crewman, suffering dehydration, was taken aboard our sea rescue craft and brought to Struisbaai without incident and the fishing company representative has taken the local man to doctors rooms for further treatment.NSRI Agulhas had been notified on Monday of the pending patient evacuation arranged for Thursday but after the patients condition deteriorated the transfer was re-arranged for today.The patient, walking wounded, was in a stable condition. PORT ELIZABETH:Justin Erasmus, NSRI Port Elizabeth deputy station commander, said:At 09h45, Wednesday, 15th November, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft, accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic, and rendezvoused with the bulk carrier Evangelia Pedrakis, sailing from Brazil to Indonesia, 3.5 nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Port Elizabeth.On arrival on the scene the EMS rescue paramedic and 2 NSRI rescue swimmers were put aboard the ship where they medically evaluated an adult crewman suffering hypertension.The patient was stabilised and transferred, secured into a harness and using the ships gangplank, onto our sea rescue craft and in the care of NSRI and the EMS rescue paramedic, he was brought into Port without incident and an EMS ambulance has transported the patient to hospital in a stable condition.