St Francis Bay: Friday, 17 April. A medical evacuation operation off a fishing trawler:

At 06h12, Wednesday, 15 April, NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated following a request for medical assistance from a fishing trawler reporting a 60 year old local fisherman, crewman, onboard injured after falling down stairs onboard.

At 06h12 on Wednesday, 15 April, NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated following a request for medical assistance from a fishing trawler. A 60-year-old local fisherman, a crewman onboard, had sustained injuries after falling down a staircase.

The vessel was en route to St Francis Bay and requested urgent medical assistance. The NSRI rescue craft was launched.

Duty crew responded to the NSRI St Francis Bay Station 21 rescue base and launched the rescue craft Spirit of St Francis III, accompanied by NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew, an NSRI rescue paramedic, and Gardmed paramedics.

The rescue craft rendezvoused with the fishing trawler in moderate sea conditions, and the NSRI rescue paramedic was transferred onboard. The patient was stabilised before being carefully transferred onto the rescue craft.

He was brought back to the NSRI rescue base, from where he was transported to hospital by Gardmed ambulance in a stable condition. The patient is expected to make a full recovery.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI St Francis Bay duty controllers, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of St Francis Port Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Sea Harvest Fishing Company shore controllers, Gardmed ambulance services control, and TNPA Port Health assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) with the coordination and logistics of the medical evacuation operation.