DURBAN:Jonathan Kellerman, NSRI Durban station commander, said:On Friday evening, 19 February, at 20h11, NSRI Durban and Netcare 911 ambulance services were placed on alert to prepare for a patient evacuation operation from a Japanese fishing trawler heading towards Durban from deep sea and the patient evacuation operation estimated to take place on Saturday morning.A 55 year old Indonesian fisherman onboard the vessel was reported to have sustained a medical condition that was evaluated by a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor in cooperation with MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and the vessels agent and it was deemed necessary for the patient evacuation operation to take place as soon as possible.The vessel was requested to head towards the nearest Port - Durban.At 05h50, Saturday, 20 February, the NSRI Durban sea rescue craft Alec Rennie was launched, accompanied by a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic.We rendezvoused with the vessel 5 nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Durban in calm sea conditions.The Netcare 911 rescue paramedic was transferred onto the vessel and the patient, walking wounded and in a stable condition, was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and he was brought to our sea rescue station in the care of the rescue paramedic.The patient was transported to hospital in a stable condition by a Netcare 911 ambulance.NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Durban duty controllers, Netcare 911 ambulance services duty controllers, Transnet National Ports Authority, Port Health Authorities, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the ships agent and WC Government Health EMS assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre with logistics and coordination of the patient evacuation operation.The operation completed at 06h57.
CAPE TOWNDavide del Fante, NSRI Table Bay deputy station commander, said:At 10h54, Saturday, 20 February, while at sea conducting routine training exercises aboard our sea rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom we intercepted VHF marine radio traffic from a container vessel that was approaching Table Bay at the time, from last Port of call in Durban, and while preparing to put to anchor the ships crew requested medical assistance for a 52 year old male, from Poland, suffering a medical condition.MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, Telkom Maritime Radio Services and TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) initiated investigations to determine the medical condition and severity of the patient.NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue) and WC Government Health EMS were placed on alert to prepare for a helicopter patient evacuation operation while our sea rescue craft berthed at Granger Bay to pick up an NSRI duty doctor.Our sea rescue craft headed out towards the vessel and we rendezvoused with the vessel at the outer anchorage in Table Bay.Our NSRI duty doctor and an NSRI rescue swimmer were transferred onto the vessel where they found the patient to be in a stable condition.Netcare 911 ambulance services were activated and the vessel was granted priority passage to dock in the Port of Table Bay.A TNPA Pilot vessel and TNPA tug boats assisted to bring the vessel to her berth in the Port of Table Bay and once safely berthed the patient was taken into the care of Netcare 911 paramedics and he was transported to hospital in a stable condition by a Netcare 911 ambulance.NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Table Bay duty controllers, Netcare 911 ambulance services duty controllers, Transnet National Ports Authority, Port Health Authorities, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the ships agent and WC Government Health EMS assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre with logistics and coordination of the patient evacuation operation.The operation completed at 13h57.
