Mike Vonk, NSRI Wilderness station commander, said: At 14h29, Saturday, 24 August, NSRI Wilderness were alerted to reports of a fisherman fallen and injured at Gwaing, near to George.
It appears that the 50 year old local man had been fishing with his son and a friend when, while hiking up a hill back towards their vehicle, the man may have slipped and he fell at least 10 meters from a ledge landing in between rocks.
Appearing to be suffering grave injuries the man was unable to move and the alarm was raised.
NSRI Wilderness rescue crew, George Fire and Rescue Services, WC Government Health EMS rescue squad and ambulance and ER24 ambulance services were activated and responded.
On arrival on the scene the man was found to be in a barely accessible space in between rocks and seriously injured – medical treatment was commenced by paramedics.
EMS Metro Control activated the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter.
NSRI Wilderness crew assisted with logistics and preparing a landing zone (LZ) for the rescue helicopter at the Gwaing camp site.
Paramedics stabilized the man and on Skymed’s arrival on the scene a Baumann’s basket stretcher was deployed (hoisted) from the helicopter down to the paramedics who secured the patient into the stretcher.
In a well coordinated technical rescue operation the patient, secured into the basket stretcher, was hoisted up to the side of the helicopter and he was airlifted by the helicopter to the LZ where where the helicopter landed at the LZ and the man was further stabilised by paramedics at the LZ.
The man was then transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in the care of paramedics, in a serious but stable condition, for further medical treatment.
NSRI commend the emergency services who performed this successful technical rescue operation in the difficult and barely accessible terrain.
MOSSEL BAY:
Johan Ehlers, NSRI Mossel duty coxswain, said:
On Saturday, 24 August, at 01h35, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a man fallen overboard of a fishing vessel that was moored in the harbour and the man was reported to be in the water in the harbour.
NSRI rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene while additional NSRI crew responded to the NSRI Mossel Bay station 15 rescue base to prepare to launch rescue craft.
WC Government Health EMS responded.
On arrival on the scene it was found that the local adult man had been recovered onto the fishing vessel by his fellow crewmen.
He was treated by NSRI medics and EMS paramedics for hypothermia and then transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition.
On Thursday, 22 August, NSRI duty crew were activated following reports from TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) security suspecting a person in distress in the water at the Mossel Bay Yacht Club.
The security guard had heard cries for help coming from the direction of the harbour area at the yacht club and it appeared that there were splashes in the water giving the impression of someone in distress.
Fearing a person to be in distress in the water the security guard raised the alarm.
NSRI rescue swimmers, the SA Police Services and WC Government Health EMS responded and the NSRI rescue craft St Blaize Rescuer was launched.
An extensive search of the area, and out to sea, revealed no signs of anyone in distress and there were no reports of anyone missing or overdue.
The case was monitored and there remains no reports of anyone missing or overdue that relates to this case.
NSRI commend the security for swiftly raising the alarm - this may well be a case of a false alarm with good intentions, but the matter is still being monitored.
Earlier, on Sunday, 18 August, at 16h22, NSRI Mossel Bay launched the rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III and St Blaize Rescuer to assist a local unmanned sailing yacht that broke her moorings at Mossel Bay harbour.
The unmanned casualty sailing yacht was assisted back to her moorings by NSRI Mossel Bay without incident.
GQEBERHA:
Sean Lunnon, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said:
NSRI Gqeberha were alerted by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), on Tuesday, 20 August, at mid afternoon, reporting 2 patients that had been injured on a motor vessel at sea and MRCC requested NSRI Gqeberha to prepare to perform a medical evacuation of the 2 men on Wednesday morning.
The motor vessel was deep sea and heading towards Gqeberha expected to arrive in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), Western Cape and Eastern Cape Government Health EMS Metro Control, an EMS duty doctor, SA Police Services Sea Borderline Control and the ship agent, assisted MRCC in the logistics and the coordination of the medical evacuation operation.
Then at 06h00, on Wednesday, 21 August, NSRI Gqeberha launched the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha, accompanied by an EMS rescue paramedic and by our NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew, and we rendezvoused with the motor vessel 7 nautical miles offshore.
An NSRI MEX crewman was transferred onto the vessel where both patients were found to be in stable conditions – walking wounded – they were secured into harnesses and transferred onto our rescue craft without incident, into the care of the EMS rescue paramedic.
Our MEX crewman was transferred back onto our rescue craft and we returned to our NSRI Gqeberha station 6 rescue base.
The 2 patients, both Filipino seafarers, age 27 and age 53, were transported to hospital in stable conditions by EMS ambulance for further care.
On Thursday, 22 August, at 08h52, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew and EC Government Health EMS were activated following reports of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts being performed on a Russian adult male seafarer 30 nautical miles offshore of Cape Recife on a motor vessel.
MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) assisted by TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor and Telkom Maritime Radio Services, requested NSRI Gqeberha to respond, accompanied by EMS rescue paramedics, to rendezvous with the motor vessel that was heading towards Gqeberha while the ships medical crew continuing with CPR.
The effort was to respond to get paramedics to the motor vessel as soon as possible to assist with CPR.
While preparing to launch an NSRI rescue craft NSRI and EMS Metro Control were informed that the man had sadly been declared deceased by the ships medical crew after all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted.
Responding rescue resources were stood down and the motor vessel then docked in the Port of Port Elizabeth where SA Police Services Sea Borderline Control, EC Government Health EMS and TNPA Ports authorities attended at the vessel where the body of the man was taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
Condolences are conveyed to the family and colleagues of the deceased man.
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