Jonathan Kellerman, NSRI Durban station commander, said:At 19h55, Monday, 10 August, NSRI Durban duty crew were activated following a request for medical assistance from a 160 meter crude oil tanker reporting 2 crewmen injured onboard the ship at anchorage off-shore of the Port of Durban.MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) arranged for a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor to medically evaluate the patients in cooperation with the ships medical crew and it was deemed necessary to patient evacuate the casualties to hospital as soon as possible.Assistance was provided by Transnet National Ports Authority and the Port Health Authority.Life Healthcare response rescue paramedics and a Life Healthcare response ambulance were activated.We launched the sea rescue craft Alick Rennie accompanied by 2 Life Healthcare response rescue paramedics.On arrival on the scene an NSRI rescue swimmer and a Life Healthcare response rescue paramedic were transferred onto the ship accompanied with rescue stretchers.Both casualties, a 56 year old Filipino man and a 27 year old Indian man, in serious but stable conditions, were secured into rescue stretchers and transferred from the ship onto our sea rescue craft in a high angle technical rescue operation.Both patients were brought to our sea rescue station in the care of the paramedics onboard our sea rescue craft and they have been transported to hospital by Life Healthcare response ambulance.NSRI has not determined the cause of their injuries.All Covid-19 precautions and protocols were observed during the operation.NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, Life Healthcare response duty controllers, NSRI Durban duty controllers, the ships agent, Transnet National Ports Authority and the Port Health Authority assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in communications, coordination and logistics during the operation.The operation completed at 01h56 on Tuesday morning.
