DURBAN:A crewman suffering a serious injury on a ship has been evacuated to hospital in a stable condition.
Clifford Ireland, NSRI Durban duty coxswain, said:At 18h50, Thursday, 8 October, NSRI Durban duty crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services were activated following a request for urgent medical assistance from the master of a bulk carrier motor vessel reporting a 32 year old crewman, from the Maldives, onboard the ship suffering a serious injury sustained during routine work on the ship.The sea rescue craft Alick Rennie was launched accompanied by Netcare 911 rescue paramedics.We rendezvoused with the vessel 4 nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Durban breakwater.The ships crew reported that they had the patient in their medical room providing medical care to stabilise the patient.On arrival on the scene in rough sea conditions with a 3 meter swell running a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic and an NSRI rescue swimmer were transferred onto the vessel and they took over care of the patient from the ships medical crew.The patient, in a stable condition, was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher and he was transferred onto our sea rescue craft followed by the 2 rescue personnel.In the care of the rescue paramedics the patient was brought to our NSRI Durban sea rescue station and he has been transported to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance for further medical care.The swift response by all services involved and the assistance and cooperation of the ships crew in this operation is commended.NSRI Emergency Operations Centre, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, WC Government Health EMS, Netcare 911 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 completed at 00h16.
