GQEBERHA – A 24-year-old Chinese seafarer was medically evacuated from a bulk carrier off the coast of Gqeberha after suffering an injury onboard, with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) carrying out the early morning rescue operation on 22 July in challenging sea conditions.

According to Simon Williams, NSRI Gqeberha deputy station commander, the NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were activated at 04:15 on 22 July following a request for medical assistance from a bulk carrier that was heading towards Algoa Bay from the south.

He said communications between the motor vessel, the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Eastern Cape Government Health EMS Metro Control, Western Cape Government Health EMS Metro Control and an EMS duty doctor indicated that the 24-year-old Chinese seafarer had suffered an injury onboard and required urgent evacuation to hospital.

Williams said the NSRI duty crew and an EMS rescue paramedic responded to the NSRI Gqeberha Station 6 rescue base, where the rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha was launched with NSRI Maritime Extrication (MEX) crew and the EMS rescue paramedic onboard.

He said an EMS ambulance stood by at the rescue base.

“We rendezvoused with the motor vessel in challenging sea conditions with 3 to 4 metre swells, eight nautical miles offshore of the Port of Gqeberha in Algoa Bay, where an NSRI MEX crewman and the EMS rescue paramedic were transferred onboard the vessel. The patient, who was in a stable condition, was then transferred onto our rescue craft, secured with personal protective equipment, a harness and safety lines, followed by the rescue crew,” said Williams.

He said the patient was brought safely to the rescue base in the care of the EMS paramedic and, while remaining in a stable condition, was transported to hospital by ambulance, where he is recovering under the care of doctors and nurses.

Williams said the operation was completed at 06:41.

He said the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port of Gqeberha Port Control, TNPA Port Health, Western Cape Government Health EMS Metro Control, an EMS duty doctor, Eastern Cape Government Health EMS Metro Control, Police Sea Borderline Control and the shipping agents assisted the MRCC with the logistics and coordination of the successful maritime medical evacuation.