NSRI Table Bay carried out a maritime medical evacuation of a seriously injured 30-year-old Filipino seafarer from a 229-metre cargo ship, 12 nautical miles offshore of the Port of Table Bay.
NSRI Table Bay station commander Quentin Botha said that on Friday evening, 16 October, the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and NSRI Table Bay duty controllers engaged with MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) to consider all efforts to safely disembark a seriously injured 30-year-old Filipino seafarer from a 229-metre cargo ship. The ship was deep at sea at the time, on her voyage towards Singapore, and was asked to divert towards Table Bay, Cape Town.
The seafarer had been injured in an incident onboard during the voyage. A WC Government Health EMS duty doctor maintained communications with the ship’s medical crew, advising on his ongoing treatment.
With unfavourable sea conditions forecast for Table Bay on Saturday, 17 October, NSRI duty controllers, in cooperation with MRCC and TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Table Bay Port Control, monitored the forecast to estimate the safest window of opportunity to carry out the evacuation.
At 11h44 on Saturday, NSRI Table Bay duty crew were activated, as the ship was expected offshore in Table Bay at 13h30 and conditions around her arrival time looked reasonably favourable. At 12h00 the rescue craft DHL Deliverer and Spirit of Day were launched, accompanied by NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew. An EMS ambulance was dispatched to stand by at the NSRI Table Bay rescue base.
The crew rendezvoused with the ship 12 nautical miles offshore of the Port of Table Bay, in swells of 2.5 to 3 metres, at times exceeding 5 metres. The Master manoeuvred his ship to create a lee against the running swells so that the rescue craft could come alongside.
Two NSRI MEX crew boarded the ship and, with the help of the ship’s crew, set up a technical high-angle extrication system. The patient, in a serious but stable condition, was secured into a Bauman Bag stretcher and hoisted in a technical high-angle operation onto the rescue craft, followed by the MEX crew.
In the care of NSRI medics onboard, the patient was brought to the NSRI rescue base and taken into the care of EMS paramedics. He was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a serious but stable condition, and is recovering in the care of doctors and nurses. The operation was completed at 16h26.
The Master of the ship and his crew are commended for their cooperation and assistance in this challenging operation.
The NSRI EOC, NSRI Table Bay duty controllers, WC Government Health EMS Metro Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the SA Police Service Sea Borderline Control, TNPA Port of Table Bay Port Control, TNPA Port Health and the ship’s agent assisted MRCC in the logistics and coordination of this successful maritime medical evacuation operation.
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