DURBAN:Timothy Edwards, NSRI Durban duty coxswain, said:At 18h33, Tuesday, 1 September, NSRI Durban duty crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services were placed on alert for a pending patient evacuation of an ill crewman off a deck cargo motor vessel heading towards Durban from deep sea with the operation expected to take place on Wednesday morning.MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) arranged a medical evaluation which was conducted in communications between the ships medical crew and a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor and it was deemed necessary for the patient to be evacuated off the ship to hospital as soon as possible.The ship, approximately 150 nautical miles from Durban at the time, was instructed to head towards the Port of Durban.At 08h15, Wednesday, 2 September, our NSRI Durban duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Alick Rennie, accompanied by a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic, and we rendezvoused with the vessel approximately 9 nautical miles offshore of the Port of Durban in 20 to 25 knot North Easterly winds and choppy sea conditions.The patient, a 34 year old crewman from the Ukraine, in a stable condition, was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and taken into the care of the rescue paramedic.On returning to our NSRI Durban sea rescue station the patient was transported to hospital for further care by a Netcare 911 ambulance.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 service duty controllers, NSRI Durban 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 was completed at 10h10.
PORT ELIZABETH:Justin Erasmus, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said:At 13h19, Wednesday, 2 September, 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 300 meter bulk carrier motor vessel to patient evacuate a 38 year old Indian crewman with an illness requiring hospital care.We rendezvoused with the vessel at the outer anchorage 8 nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Port Elizabeth.Sea conditions were 4 to 5 meter swells and the vessel was requested to get underway for the transfer of crew to take place with the vessel providing a lee to our sea rescue craft.An NSRI rescue swimmer and the EMS rescue paramedic were sent onboard the vessel and the patient, in a stable condition and walking wounded, secured into a safety harness and a safety line, was transferred from the ship onto our sea rescue craft.We thanked the ships Master and crew for assisting in the successful rescue crew transfer onto the motor vessel and the patient transfer operation onto our sea rescue craft.In the care of the EMS rescue paramedic the patient was brought to shore aboard our sea rescue craft and he has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition.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 16h30.
