Successful Medical Evacuation of Crewman from Motor Tanker by NSRI Gqeberha

Sean Lunnon, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said: On Friday, 13 September, at 20h11, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were alerted to prepare to medically evacuate a male crewman, suffering a medical condition, from a motor tanker following communications indicating that the vessel was heading towards Gqeberha from offshore of East London and was expected to arrive offshore of Gqeberha in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, in communications facilitated by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), monitored the patient's condition in cooperation with the ships medical crew.

At 05h40, on Saturday morning, the NSRI Gqeberha rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha was launched, accompanied by an EMS rescue paramedic.

We rendezvoused with the vessel in Algoa Bay where an NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crewman was transferred onto the motor tanker.

A high angle technical extrication facility was rigged onboard and the patient, age 38, from Turkey, in a stable condition, secured into a harness and safety line, was transferred onto our rescue craft and in the care of the EMS rescue paramedic he was brought to our NSRI Gqeberha station 6 rescue base and transported to hospital by EMS ambulance.

Our rescue base was closed at 08h41.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, TMNP (Transnet National Ports Authority), WC Government Health EMS, Telkom Maritime Radio Services and the ship agent, assisted MRCC in the logistics and coordination of the medical evacuation operation.

Then, on Sunday, 15 September, at 09h06, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were alerted to reports of a patient suffering a medical emergency on a local fishing trawler.

Our NSRI rescue craft, Rescue 6 Alpha, was diverted to respond to rendezvous with the vessel offshore of Kini Bay, on the Wild Side of Gqeberha.

On arrival on the scene 2 NSRI medics were transferred onto the trawler where they initiated medical treatment to the local 56 year old male.

He was transferred onto our rescue craft where medical treatment continued and he was brought to our NSRI Gqeberha station 6 rescue base and transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition.

While attending to the fisherman on the fishing trawler NSRI were alerted to a person reportedly trapped on a sand bank on the Swartkops River.

NSRI requested CWR (Coastal Water Rescue) to investigate.

CWR later reported that they were on the scene at Swartkops River where the casualty was brought safely to shore by CWR rescue swimmers, without incident, and no further assistance was required.