A Filipino injured male medically evacuated off a ship

Roy Wienand, NSRI Durban station commander, said: At 17h00, Tuesday, 16 July, NSRI Durban duty crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services, were alerted to prepare our NSRI rescue craft, MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew and Netcare 911 rescue paramedics, following a request for a patient to be medically evacuated from a 260 meter motor vessel gas tanker expected to arrive offshore of Durban at 23h00.

The patient, a 23-year-old Filipino male crew of the motor vessel, was reported to have suffered an injury.

He was in the care of the ships medical crew, with medical monitoring and advice being provided in communications from a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor.

He was reported to be in a serious but stable condition.

Later the same evening it was communicated to NSRI duty controllers that the vessel, having diverted from deep seas, would only arrive offshore of Durban at around 01h00.

We believe that motor vessel Captain had tried, in cooperation with the ship agent, to arrange for a helicopter medical evacuation but that this option was not available.

It was then arranged by NSRI duty controllers for the operation to be conducted at first light on Wednesday morning.

At first light, Wednesday, 19 July, our NSRI rescue vessel Alick Rennie was launched, accompanied by our NSRI Durban MEX crew and Netcare 911 rescue paramedics.

A Netcare 911 ambulance stood by at our NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF radio communications.

We rendezvoused with the motor vessel offshore of the Port of Durban, in calm and favourable sea conditions, where the NSRI MEX crew and Netcare 911 rescue paramedics were transferred onto the vessel.

The patient, in a serious but stable condition, was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher.

In a high angle technical rescue operation, the patient was hoisted from the ships deck onto our NSRI rescue vessel.

All NSRI MEX crew and a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic were recovered onto our rescue vessel.

In the care of the Netcare 911 rescue paramedics we brought the patient to our rescue base, and he was transported to hospital by Netcare 911 ambulance in the care of Netcare 911 paramedics in a serious but stable condition.

The patient is expected to make a full recovery.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Durban duty controllers, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Durban Port Control, the SA Police Services - SAPS Sea Borderline Control, Netcare 911 duty controllers, TNPA Port of Durban Health authorities, WC Government Health EMS, Telkom Maritime Radio Services and the ships agent, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) in the logistics and the coordination of this medical evacuation operation.