Donate Shop Call for Help Now Find a Base

NSRI EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTRE (EOC)

087 094 9774
DURBAN:Jonathan Kellerman, NSRI Durban station commander, said:At 11h57, Wednesday, 06th May, NSRI Durban duty crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services were placed on alert for a pending mission to patient evacuate an ill sailor suffering a medical condition (not Covid-19 related) off a bulk carrier motor vessel approaching Durban.At 12h45 an SA Air Force (SAAF) 15 Squadron Oryx helicopter, a ShipsMed doctor, Netcare 911 rescue paramedics and NSRI Durban rescue swimmers were activated and preparations, including Port Health Authority authorisations, were set in motion.The SAAF 15 Squadron Oryx helicopter, carrying 2 SAAF pilots, a SAAF flight engineer, 2 Netcare 911 rescue paramedics, a ShipsMed doctor and 2 NSRI rescue swimmers rendezvoused with the ship 7 nautical miles off-shore of Park Rynie, KZN South Coast.A rescue swimmer, the doctor and a rescue paramedic were winch hoisted from the helicopter onto the ship and the doctor and the rescue paramedic took over medical care of the patient, a 43 year old Filipino sailor, from the ships medical crew.A second rescue paramedic was winch hoisted onto the ship with a Stokes basket stretcher and the patient, in a serious but stable condition, was secured into the stretcher and winch hoisted with one of the rescue paramedics into the helicopter.The remaining rescue crew were winch hoisted into the helicopter and in the care of the doctor and the 2 rescue paramedics, who continued with medical treatment to the patient in the helicopter, the patient was airlifted directly to a Durban hospital and he has been taken into the care of hospital staff.All Covid-19 precautions and protocols were observed during the operation.NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, Netcare 911 ambulance services, ShipsMed, Transnet National Ports Authority and Port Health Authorities assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in communications, coordination and logistics during the operation.The operation completed at 17h20.[video width='848' height='480' mp4='https://www.nsri.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/WhatsApp-Video-2020-05-06-at-21.37.35.mp4'][/video]Footage by Netcare 911 ambulance services. A SAAF 15 Squadron Oryx helicopter arriving at a Durban hospital during today’s patient evacuation - KZN South Coast.SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774
Next Article

Scarborough - Wednesday, 06th May. Response to entangled whale appearing to be in distress:

Read More

You may also like

Whale Detanglement
ANIMAL RESCUE  | Published: 7 June 2025

Juvenile Humpback whale successfully released from an entanglement

On Saturday, 7 June, BCMM (Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality) Aquarium arranged a local fixed wing aircraft (airborne on a flight) to scan the coastline in an effort to spot a Humpback whale trailing a large flotation buoy that had been ...

NSRI Solstice Plunges
FUNDRAISING  | Published: 6 June 2025

Brave the cold to support the NSRI this winter solstice!

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) invites you to brave the cold and take a dip for our cause by participating in a winter solstice plunge to raise vital funds. ...

Stn 40 St Lucia
RESCUES  | Published: 6 June 2025

3 rescued by NSRI St Lucia after their fishing ski-boat capsizes.

A boat capsized while launching in calm surf conditions during a national fishing competition on Wednesday at St Lucia. ...