Table Bay – Patient evacuations in Cape Town in 2 incidents

At 09h53, Monday, 31 October, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were alerted to prepare to patient evacuate a 29 year old Ukranian crewman suffering a medical complaint onboard a tug boat motor vessel towing an oil refinery vessel.

MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), Telkom Maritime Radio Services and Transnet National Ports Authority assisted in communications, coordination and logistics.

Accompanied by WC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics our rescue craft Rescue 3 was launched at around 11h00 and in rough sea conditions with 6 to 7 meter swells we rendezvoused with the tug boat 22 nautical miles North West of the Port of Table Bay.

The patient, walking wounded, was prepared to be transferred aboard our rescue craft.

Timing sea swells we rafted alongside the tug boat and the patient was assisted onboard our rescue craft.

In the care of the EMS paramedics he was brought to our NSRI Table Bay rescue station where he was taken into the care of Netcare 911 paramedics and transported, in a stable condition, to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance.

The operation completed at 16h24.

Gal Chiles, NSRI Table Bay duty coordinator, said:

At 20h03, Monday, 31 October, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were alerted by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) to prepare to patient evacuate a 27 year old Malaysian crewman, suffering a medical complaint, from a Container ship motor vessel.

At that stage MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Transnet National Ports Authority and a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor were monitoring the patient and the motor vessel. They were rounding Cape Point at the time.

Arrangements were made for them to anchor in the lee off Green Point, shadowed from strong winds by Signal Hill and Lions Head.

At 22h15 the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 3 was launched, accompanied by a WC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and EMS doctor.

We rendezvoused with the vessel at outer anchorage 1.

On arrival at the vessel an NSRI rescue swimmer was transferred onboard. The patient was secured into a life-jacket, safety harness and safety line and he was transferred onto our rescue craft.

In the care of the EMS doctor and the EMS rescue paramedic he was brought to our NSRI Table Bay rescue station where he was taken into the care of ER24 paramedics.

He was transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a stable condition.

The operation completed at midnight.