KZN - Jet-skier assisted & Emergency patient evacuation off a ship

NATIONAL SEA RESCUE INSTITUTE (NSRI) MEDIA RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jet-skier assisted - Shelly Beach & Emergency patient evacuation off a ship - Durban

STATION 20, SHELLY BEACH:

A jet-skier has been assisted to shore after his jet-ski engine failed.

Ruahn Beattie, NSRI Shelly Beach duty coxswain, said:

At 06h00, Saturday, 26 September, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated following reports from Shelly Beach Control of a jet-ski in difficulty approximately 4 nautical miles offshore of Shelly Beach.

Our NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew responded to our sea rescue station and our sea rescue craft Spirit of Dawn was launched.

On arrival on the scene we found a Johannesburg man on his jet-ski that had engine failure.

A towline was established and we towed the jet-ski to shore and once we had the man and his jet-ski safely ashore no further assistance was required.

STATION 5, DURBAN:

A crewman suffering a medical emergency on a crude oil tanker has been airlifted to hospital by the Portnet 1 helicopter.

Jonathan Kellerman, NSRI Durban station commander, said:

At 08h09, Saturday, 26 September, NSRI Durban duty crew were activated following a request for urgent medical assistance received from a crude oil tanker at anchor off-shore of Durban reporting a ships crewman onboard the ship suffering a medical emergency.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor and Netcare 911 ambulance services were alerted.

TNPA arranged for the Portnet 1 helicopter to airlift a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic to the crude oil tanker while our NSRI Durban duty crew prepared to launch our sea rescue craft Alick Rennie.

A Netcare 911 rescue paramedic responded to the Portnet 1 helicopter base and she was airlifted to the crude oil tanker in the Portnet 1 helicopter and on her arrival on the scene medical treatment was commenced on a 33 year old Filipino crewman.

The sea rescue craft Alick Rennie was launched, accompanied by additional Netcare 911 rescue paramedics, and on our arrival at the ship NSRI rescue swimmers and a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic were transferred onto the ship to join the rescue paramedic who was treating the patient.

With the patient's condition reported to be serious TNPA arranged for the Portnet 1 helicopter to return to the ship to airlift the patient to hospital.

The helicopter landed on the ships deck helicopter pad and the patient, in a serious condition, secured into a rescue stretcher, has been airlifted to hospital by the Portnet 1 helicopter in the care of Netcare 911 rescue paramedics.

The patient is receiving treatment in a local hospital for a medical emergency and all of the emergency services involved in the patient evacuation operation have wished the patient a speedy recovery.

NSRI commend the swift response to this emergency by all of the emergency services and emergency controllers involved in this incident.

All Covid-19 precautions and protocols were observed during this patient evacuation operation.

NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, NSRI Durban duty controllers, Netcare 911 duty controllers, Transnet National Ports Authority and Port Health Authorities assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in communications, coordination and logistics during the operation.

-ENDS-

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is the charity organisation that saves lives on South African waters – both coastal and inland. Our goal is to prevent drowning through rescue operations, education and prevention initiatives.

Operating from base stations along the SA coastline, and on inland dams, our rescue volunteers are on call, at all hours, every day of the year. Our rescue crew receives no payment and neither do we charge the people we rescue.

We visit schools around the country, teaching children about water safety. Our drowning prevention measures include our online training academy, with free courses for crew and the public, emergency signage, Pink Rescue Buoys for emergency flotation, rescue swimmers, lifeguards, and active patrols during peak seasons.

Our organisation is totally reliant on donations and sponsorships. This enables us to do the work of saving lives, changing lives, and creating futures.

You can do your bit to assist. Please visit www.nsri.org.za for more information.

SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774

Released by:

Craig Lambinon

SEA RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS

Email: communications@searescue.org.za | Cell: +27 (0) 82 380 3800 | www.searescue.org.za