A maritime medical evacuation operation in Struisbaai

At 08h01, Monday, 10 August, NSRI Agulhas duty crew were placed on alert to prepare for a maritime medical evacuation operation and crew transfer, later in the day, from a local fishing vessel reporting to be deep sea and heading towards Struisbaai with a local adult male crewman onboard, in a stable condition, suffering a medical injury and needing to be taken off the vessel to be seen to at a hospital.

Arrangements were made with the local fishing company to transfer relief crew during the operation.

At 13h30, our duty crew met at our NSRI Agulhas station 30 rescue base where accompanied by the fishing company relief crew and NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew; our rescue craft Spirit of Agulhas was launched at 15h00.

We rendezvoused with the fishing vessel offshore of Struisbaai in fair sea conditions.

An NSRI MEX crewman was transferred onto the fishing trawler and the patient, walking wounded, was transferred onto our rescue craft, accompanied by a fellow crewman.

2 relief crew were transferred onto the fishing vessel without incident.

The patient was brought safely to our NSRI rescue base where he and his fellow crewman were collected by the fishing company shore crew. The patient will be seen to at a hospital in Cape Town.

The operation was completed at 16h39.

NSRI commend the cooperation of the local fishing company, the Master and crew of the vessel, during this medical operation.