NSRI Responds to Diverse Maritime Emergencies Across South Africa's Coastline

KZN SOUTH COAST: Linda Putter, NSRI Rocky Bay deputy station commander, said:

During the morning of morning of Friday, 21 March, NSRI Rocky Bay duty crew and IPSS Ambulance and Advance Life Support Paramedics were activated following a request for medical assistance from a local dive charter boat reporting that they had a local male diver, age 54, onboard requiring urgent medical assistance and they were heading towards Rocky Bay, KZN South Coast.

A doctor onboard the vessel, a fellow diver, had initiated medical treatment. The skipper of the vessel had raised the alarm while urgently heading back towards the shore at best speed.

NSRI Rocky Bay medical crew and IPSS paramedics met the vessel on her arrival on the shore where it was found that the diver had suffered injuries after he had made a rapid ascent while diving in heavy sea currents offshore.

The patient, initially in a critical condition, received further medical treatment once they were safely ashore and in a serious but stable condition, he was transported to hospital by IPSS ambulance in the care of IPSS paramedics where he is reported to be recovering in the care of doctors and nurses.

 

GQEBERHA:
Mark Dawson, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said:

At 13h15, Thursday, 21 March, NSRI Gqeberha were tasked to prepare to medically evacuate a patient from an oil tanker on Friday morning.

The motor vessel oil tanker was at that stage 114 nautical miles from the Port of Port Elizabeth and making best speed towards Gqeberha reporting their fellow crewman, age 31, from Myanmar, onboard suffering a serious injury - we believe that had been sustained in a fall onboard the motor vessel - the motor vessels expected arrival offshore of Gqeberha was the following morning.

On Friday morning, at 04h30, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew, an NSRI Gqeberha MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew and 2 EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics mustered at the NSRI Gqeberha station 6 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 was launched.

We rendezvoused with the motor vessel 10 nautical miles offshore where 2 NSRI MEX technicians and 1 EMS rescue paramedic were transferred onto the motor vessel.

The patient, in the care of the ships medical crew, in a serious but stable condition, was provided further medical treatment and he was stabilised by the EMS rescue paramedic, and he was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher.

Using the ships crane the NSRI MEX crew rigged a technical high angle rope system, and the patient was transferred onto our NSRI rescue craft. 

In the care of the 2 EMS rescue paramedics the patient was brought to our NSRI rescue base, arriving back at base at 08h45, without incident, and the patient was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance, in a serious but stable condition, where he is recovering from injuries.

 

SIMON'S TOWN:
Simon McDonnell, NSRI Simon's Town station commander, said:

On Wednesday, 19 March, at 15h19, NSRI Simon's Town were requested by CMR (Cape Medical Response) to assist with a patient recovery operation on a hiking trail in Cape Point.

WC Government Health EMS, CMR (Cape Medical Response) and Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services were on the scene medically treating a 26 year old Johannesburg man, who had suffered an injury while hiking, and they requested additional manpower and a Stokes basket stretcher to get the man off the hiking trail, from a hill top, to a CMR ambulance waiting at the nearest roadway.

Our NSRI Simon's Town rescue vehicle and an NSRI crew members private vehicle were dispatched with the Stokes basket stretcher and 6 NSRI Simon's Town crew.

We joined the rescue team on the hiking trail where the patient, in a stable condition, unable to walk, was secured into the Stokes basket stretcher and he was hiked to the waiting CMR ambulance.

In the care of CMR paramedics the patient was transported to hospital by CMR ambulance where he is reported to be recovering.

NSRI Simon's Town were thanked for their assistance.

Then on Thursday, 20 March, at 11h02, NSRI Simon's Town duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from a local fishing vessel reporting fuel contamination and idling on limited motor power offshore at Bellows Rock, Cape Point.

Our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Simon's Town station 10 rescue base where the NSRI rescue craft Donna Nicholas was launched.

In light misty conditions and fair seas, we rendezvoused with the fishing vessel at Bellows Rock, Cape point, where a towline was established, and we towed them to offshore of Kalk Bay Harbour.

Offshore of Kalk Bay Harbour the towline was released and the vessel, under her own motor power, accompanied by our NSRI rescue craft, went into Kalk Bay Harbour and was berthed by her crew without incident and no further assistance was required.

GORDONS BAY:
Ryan Holmes, NSRI Gordons Bay station commander, said:

At 12h44, Sunday, 9 March, NSRI Gordons Bay duty crew were activated following reports from NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) of a local motor boat, with 5 crew onboard, 2 males and 3 females, locals, withy their vessel suffering motor mechanical failure offshore of Bikini Beach, Gordons Bay. 

They had contacted TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Table Bay Port Control to raise the alarm - reporting that they were safe and at anchor but with motor mechanical failure they required assistance.

Our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI Gordons Bay station 9 rescue base where we launched the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Surfski.

We rendezvoused with the casualty vessel about a nautical mile offshore of the Pump House, Gordons Bay, where an NSRI rescue crewman was transferred onto the casualty vessel.

It was decided to take 2 of the casualty boat crew off their boat and we transported them to Harbour Island and then returned to the scene where we established a towline and towed the casualty vessel to Harbour Island without incident where she was berthed and no further assistance was required.