NSRI Mossel Bay Conducts Medical Evacuation of Seafarer at Sea

Herman Venter, NSRI Mossel Bay duty coxswain, said: At 06h40, Monday, 22 December, NSRI were alerted to a possible pending medical evacuation of a seafarer from a bulk carrier motor vessel.

NSRI Mossel Bay alerted NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) who alerted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre).

In communications with the ship, in cooperation with a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, MRCC deemed the medical evacuation operation to be necessary and NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated.

The NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Safmarine III was launched, accompanied by Frontier Medix rescue paramedic and a medic, and by NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew.

We rendezvoused with the motor vessel 1 nautical mile offshore of Mossel Bay Harbour where the rescue paramedic and the MEX crew boarded the vessel and in cooperation with the ships medical crew attended to the patient, a 32 year old Filipino male.

The patient was secured into a rescue harness, safety lines  and safety gear, and he was safely transferred onto our NSRI rescue craft without incident.

In the care of the rescue paramedic the patient was brought into Mossel Bay Harbour and he was transported to hospital by Frontier Medix ambulance in a stable condition for further medical care.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Mossel Bay duty controllers, Frontier Medix duty controllers, WC Government Health EMS and an EMS duty doctor, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Mossel Bay Harbour Master, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, TNPA Port Health, SAPS Sea Borderline Control and the ships agent, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), in the logistics and the coordination of this medical evacuation operation.