Timothy Edwards, NSRI Durban duty coxswain, said:At 11h42, Friday, 7 August, NSRI Durban duty crew were activated to assist at a 6 meter SA Revenue Service customs vessel after a 46 year old female crewperson had collapsed unconscious and she was reported to be unresponsive from suspected dehydration.The vessel was 9 nautical miles from the Port of Durban off-shore of Umhlanga and although she was heading towards the Port of Durban the vessel was making slow progress in choppy sea conditions.Our NSRI Durban sea rescue craft Alick Rennie was launched accompanied by 2 Life Healthcare rescue paramedics.We rendezvoused with the vessel approximately 1.5 nautical miles off-shore of Umhlanga Rocks, 7 nautical miles from the Port of Durban.In choppy sea conditions a Life Healthcare rescue paramedic and an NSRI rescue swimmer were transferred onto the vessel and the patient was stabilized and she had regained consciousness.With the rescue paramedic and our rescue swimmer remaining onboard the casualty vessel and continuing to provide medical care to the patient NSRI escorted her to the Port of Durban where the patient was handed into the care of Life Healthcare response paramedics and the patient was transported to hospital in a stable condition and she is expected to make a full recovery.Once the patient had been handed over to the Life Healthcare response paramedics our sea rescue craft Alick Rennie was
launched again to assist to recover 4 SA Revenue Service customs officials off of a 220 meter container motor vessel
at anchor 14.5 nautical miles from the Port of Durban.On arrival at the container motor vessel, in 2 meter swells, we transferred the 4 crew onto our sea rescue vessel and they were brought to our sea rescue base without incident.The operation completed at 16h11.
