NSRI Durban duty crew and Faith Med Emergency Medical Services were placed on alert by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), in cooperation with MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), to prepare for a medical evacuation of a 25-year-old Ghanaian seafarer injured onboard a gas tanker motor vessel on Wednesday, 17 June.
Preparations were made to carry out the medical evacuation operation at first light while Shipmed Medical Services communicated with the ships medical crew referring ongoing medical treatment to the injured man.
At 06h06, Thursday, 18 June, the NSRI Durban rescue craft Alick Rennie was launched accompanied by NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew and Faith Med rescue paramedics.
A Faith Med ambulance stood by at our NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base.
We rendezvoused with the motor vessel 3 nautical miles offshore of the Port of Durban in fair windless sea conditions and 1 meter sea swells.
Our MEX crew and a Faith Med rescue paramedic were transferred onboard the motor vessel where the patient, in a serious but stable condition, was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher.
In cooperation with the ships crew, in a technical high angle extrication operation, the patient was transferred onto our rescue craft, followed by the rescue crew.
In the care of the Faith Med paramedics the patient was brought to our NSRI rescue base and transported to hospital, in a stable condition, by Faith Med ambulance.
The operation was completed at 10h23.
In hospital, in the care of doctors and nurses, the patient is expected to make a full recovery.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Durban duty controllers, Faith Med EMS duty controllers, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Durban Port Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, TNPA Port Health, Shipmed medical services, SA Police Services Sea Borderline Control and the ships agent, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), in the logistics and the coordination of this successful maritime medical evacuation operation.
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