Port Elizabeth – Thursday, 07th May. Patient evacuation off a passing ship:

PORT ELIZABETH:Justin Erasmus, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said:At 13h01, Thursday, 07 May, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft, accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic, to rendezvous with a bulk carrier motor vessel approaching Port Elizabeth to patient evacuate an ill 25 year old Myanmar sailor suffering a medical complaint.NSRI Port Elizabeth had been placed on alert on Wednesday to prepare for the mission after MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) advised the ship that was deep sea at the time passing the South African coastline to head towards the nearest Port at Port Elizabeth after a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor in communications with the ships crew confirmed that the patient required hospital care as soon as possible.Our NSRI sea rescue craft rendezvoused with the ship 10 nautical miles off-shore of Port Elizabeth and an NSRI rescue swimmer and the EMS rescue paramedic boarded the ship.The paramedic took over care of the patient from the ships medical crew while the NSRI crewman set up a technical extrication platform which was used to transfer the patient onto the sea rescue craft.The patient, in a stable condition and in the care of the paramedic, was brought to our NSRI Port Elizabeth sea rescue base and he has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance.All Covid-19 precautions and protocols were observed during the operation.NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, EC Government Health EMS, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty controllers, 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 14h20.SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774