Injured Seafarer Evacuated from Storm-Battered Vessel in False Bay

On July 7, NSRI and EMS teams executed a daring rescue of a 27-year-old injured seafarer from the vessel Rio Grande Express off False Bay. Despite severe storm conditions, the patient was safely evacuated and transported to the hospital.

On Saturday 6 July, at 21h44, NSRI Table duty crew and WC Government Health EMS were alerted to prepare to evacuate a patient suffering an injury from a motor vessel expected to be in Table Bay during Sunday morning.

On Sunday morning, 7 July, the NSRI Table Bay rescue craft DHL Deliverer was launched, accompanied by EMS rescue technicians, and rendezvoused with the motor vessel in Table Bay off-shore of Bloubergstrand - but in highly challenging and unfavourable sea conditions the attempts to extricate the patient from the vessel was suspended pending a break in the severe storm conditions.

Marine VHF communications were assisted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services and medical advice was provided to the ships medical crew by an EMS duty doctor.

Efforts were made by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Table Bay Port Control, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Table Bay duty controllers and NSRI operations, to establish the best options and investigate all options and safe possibilities to get this injured patient off the ship by land, sea or air, and all options were finely investigated before being exhausted, taking into account rough seas, gale force winds and a storm surge forecast by SAWS (South African Weather Services).

It was decided by NSRI, in cooperation with Table Bay Port Control and with Telkom Maritime Radio Services, to request the vessel to head to the more sheltered False Bay where a extrication operation, making use of the off-shore wind conditions there and predicting the lee of the massive ship would help.

The situation would be better assessed on her arrival in False Bay although it would be after dark and this was a tense but calculated gamble not often seen to occur.
NSRI were confident that after investigating all options, opportunities, incoming weather and the logistics an NSRI commander made the difficult decision that this would be a long shot but worth every effort to get this man to hospital.
Cape Town Radio (Telkom Maritime Radio Services) requested the ships Master to weigh anchor in Table Bay and head back around to False Bay - top coordinates provided to them by NSRI Simonstown.

The Master of the ship proceeded his vessel to False Bay.

NSRI Simonstown, on stand-by since mid afternoon, were activated at 19h00 and accompanied by EMS rescue technicians and a MEX (maritime extrication) crew the NSRI rescue craft Donna Nicolas and the NSRI rescue craft Jack&Irene were launched.

A CMR (Cape Medical Response) advanced life support ambulance team mustered at our NSRI station.

Additional NSRI Simonstown crew had volunteered to come down to the station to assist.

Our NSRI rescue craft rendezvoused with the 260 meter container motor vessel 2 nautical miles off-shore of Kalk Bay harbour, instructing the Master of the vessel to drift his ship - then, in challenging sea, wind, weather and logistical conditions, the rescue paramedics and the MEX crew boarded the ship with all care and safety observed.

Excellent cooperation was provided by the ships crew and Master of the ship - they are commended for their professionalism and fine seamanship and assistance during the operation.

In the middle of the cold front storm that was passing over Cape Town at the time, in hazardous conditions, in an extreme technical high angle precision rescue extrication operation, the patient, secured into a Bowman bag stretcher, and in a stable condition, in the care of the rescue paramedics and the NSRI MEX crew, was hoisted onto the deck of the NSRI rescue craft and safely taken below decks of our rescue craft.

In the care of the EMS paramedics he was brought to our NSRI rescue station at Simonstown harbour where a full team of NSRI Simonstown off-duty crew had mustered at our rescue base to assist - displaying huge respect, team work and a tribute to this massive rescue effort by all involved.

In a stable condition the patient, a 27 year old Sri-Lankan male seafarer, was transported to hospital by CMR (Cape Medical Response) ambulance, where he is in the care of hospital staff.

NSRI commend the cooperation between all services involved and the NSRI crews of Table Bay and NSRI Simonstown, together with our NSRI MEX crew and the EMS rescue paramedics, the Master of the container motor vessel Rio Grande Express and his crew, who are all highly commended for the cooperation in executing this successful medical evacuation operation under extremely trying conditions.

The operation was completed at midnight.