Michelle Roos, NSRI Mossel Bay coxswain, said: At 13h30, Monday, 13 October, NSRI Mossel Bay were alerted by TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port Control, Mossel Bay Harbour, to prepare for the medical evacuation of a 47 year old Filipino male seafarer suffering a medical condition from a motor vessel bulk carrier.
At that stage the motor vessel was approximately 50 nautical miles from Mossel Bay.
In communications with a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor the patient, in the care of the ships medical crew, receiving medical advice from the EMS duty doctor, was deemed to be in a serious condition requiring urgent evacuation to hospital.
Communications were facilitated by Telkom Maritime Radio Services in cooperation with TNPA Port Control, the ships agents, and NSRI Mossel Bay duty controllers.
The motor vessel had been instructed to make best speed towards Mossel Bay.
At midnight our NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated to respond to our NSRI rescue base to prepare to launch NSRI rescue craft.
At 01h37, Tuesday, 14 October, the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III and the NSRI rescue craft St Blaise Rescuer, were launched, accompanied by 2 NSRI Mossel Bay MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew, 1 NSRI Wilderness MEX crew, and an EMS rescue paramedic.
An ER24 ambulance and an EMS Metro ambulance were dispatched to standby at our NSRI Mossel Bay station 15 rescue base.
We rendezvoused with the motor vessel between 1 and 2 nautical miles offshore, in 2-meter sea swells and 6 to 10 knot West South Westerly winds, where our 3 NSRI MEX crew and the EMS rescue paramedic were transferred onto the motor vessel.
The patient's condition was evaluated by the EMS rescue paramedic while a high angle extrication device was rigged.
Assisted by the ship's crew, and by the ships medical crew, the patient, in a serious but stable condition, secured into a Bauman bag stretcher, was transferred by our MEX crew onto our NSRI rescue craft, without incident.
In the care of the EMS rescue paramedic the patient was brought to our NSRI rescue base onboard our NSRI rescue craft and he has been transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance, in a stable condition, for further medical care.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Mossel Bay duty controllers, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Mossel Bay Harbour Port Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, TNPA Port Health, Police Sea Borderline Control, the ships agents, WC Government Health EMS Metro Control and an EMS duty doctor, and ER24 ambulance services duty controllers, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) in the logistics and coordination of the medical evacuation operation.
The operation completed at 04h25.
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