At 09h20, Wednesday, 07 August, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew, accompanied by our NSRI station doctor and EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics launched aboard the sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft to rendezvous with a bulk carrier approaching Port Elizabeth with 4 Filipino crewmen onboard suffering injuries sustained reportedly when a wave broke over the vessel at sea off-shore of the vicinity of Port Edward on Tuesday.
Suffering serious injuries, efforts to get medical and rescue teams onto the ship commenced following a request for emergency medical assistance from the ship.
The ships medical team were providing medical relief to the injured crew and NSRI Durban rescue crew were alerted. The ship then proceeded towards East London where NSRI East London rescue crew were alerted but the decision was then made for the ship to proceed on to Port Elizabeth where NSRI Port Elizabeth and EC Government EMS were on alert awaiting their arrival.
On the sea rescue crafts arrival on the scene today off the Port of Port Elizabeth, NSRI transferred the medical team onto the ship and medical treatment to the 4 casualties was continued. 1 man suffered critical injuries with fractures to the jaw, hip, clavicle and a suspected neck fracture, 1 man suffered a fractured Femur and hip, 1 man suffered a fractured Tibia and 1 man sustained bruising to the head.
In unfavourable sea conditions the decision was taken for the medical teams to continue treatment on the ship and arrangements were made with the Transnet National Ports Authority for the ship to enter Port.
The patients were stabilised and on entering the Port of Port Elizabeth the ship docked and NSRI rescue crew and additional medical teams assisted in ongoing medical care and transferring the injured patients on stretchers to ambulances and they have been transported to hospitals for further treatment by EMS ambulances in serious but stable conditions.
TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE
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