NSRI Mossel Bay: Maritime medical evacuation operation

Mossel Bay, 4 July 2026: The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Mossel Bay station assisted in a multi-agency maritime medical evacuation operation on Friday, 3 July, transporting a 23 year old Chinese seafarer from a cargo motor vessel to hospital.

NSRI Mossel Bay assists in successful maritime medical evacuation of Chinese seafarer

Mossel Bay, 4 July 2026: The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Mossel Bay station assisted in a multi-agency maritime medical evacuation operation on Friday, 3 July, transporting a 23 year old Chinese seafarer from a cargo motor vessel to hospital.

At 04h00, NSRI Mossel Bay was alerted following communications between the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port of Mossel Bay Port Control, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), shipping agents and the master of the cargo motor vessel. The vessel's master had reported that a crew member, a 23 year old female Chinese national, was suffering a medical condition and required evacuation to hospital.

A Western Cape Government Health EMS duty doctor, working with EMS Metro Control and MRCC, determined that, as a precaution, the patient should be transported to hospital as soon as possible.

The cargo motor vessel was offshore of Plettenberg Bay at the time, heading towards the Port of Port Elizabeth. As the morning progressed, the vessel was requested to alter course back towards Mossel Bay.

At 10h45, following ongoing coordination between the agencies involved, NSRI Mossel Bay's duty crew were placed on alert to prepare for a maritime medical evacuation operation, expected later that afternoon. Relay Ambulance Services were also placed on alert.

NSRI Mossel Bay opened its Station 15 rescue base at 17h30, and at 18h38 launched its rescue craft JLT Rescuer, crewed by NSRI Maritime Extrication (MEX) crew and accompanied by a Relay Ambulance Services rescue paramedic.

The rescue craft rendezvoused with the vessel three nautical miles offshore of Mossel Bay, where two NSRI MEX crew members transferred onto the vessel. The patient, in a stable condition and able to walk, was secured into personal protective equipment and safety lines before being transferred onto the rescue craft.

In the care of the Relay rescue paramedic, the patient was brought to the NSRI rescue base without incident and transported to hospital by Relay Ambulance Services, where she is recovering in the care of doctors and nurses. The operation was concluded at 20h16.

The successful operation was made possible through the coordination and cooperation of the NSRI EOC, NSRI Mossel Bay duty controllers, Western Cape Government Health EMS Metro Control, an EMS duty doctor, Relay Ambulance Services control, TNPA Port of Mossel Bay Port Control, TNPA Port Health, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the South African Police Service Sea Borderline Control, Mossel Bay Border Management Agency (BMA), the ship's master and crew, and the ship's agent, all assisting MRCC in coordinating the operation.