An injured man being hoisted down the side of a vessel into a rescue boat. An injured Filipino crewman from a motor vessel gas tanker was evacuated and transported to a hospital by NSRI and Netcare 911 off the Port of Durban. Picture: Screen grab of NSRI video
A 23-year-old Filipino crewman is in a critical but stable condition after he was evacuated from a 260 metre motor vessel gas tanker in Durban on Wednesday and taken to a hospital for medical care.
National Sea Rescue Institute(NSRI) Durban station commander, Roy Wienand, detailed the evacuation.
Wienand said at 5pm on Tuesday, the NSRI Durban duty crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services, were alerted to prepare the NSRI rescue craft, MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew and Netcare 911 rescue paramedics, following a request for a patient to be medically evacuated.
He said the vessel was expected to arrive offshore of Durban at 11pm.
“The patient, a 23-year-old Filipino male crew of the motor vessel, was reported to have suffered an injury. He was in the care of the ship's medical crew, with medical monitoring and advice being provided in communications from a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor.
He was reported to be in a serious but stable condition,” said Wienand.
However, Wienand said it was later that evening communicated to NSRI duty controllers that the vessel, having diverted from deep seas, would only arrive offshore of Durban at around 1am.
“We believe that motor vessel Captain had tried, in cooperation with the ship agent, to arrange for a helicopter medical evacuation but that this option was not available. It was then arranged by NSRI duty controllers for the operation to be conducted at first light on Wednesday morning,” he said.
He said on Wednesday morning at first light, the NSRI rescue vessel Alick Rennie was launched, accompanied by our NSRI Durban MEX crew and Netcare 911 rescue paramedics.
According to Wienand a Netcare 911 ambulance stood by at the NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base, while Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF radio communications.
Wienand said the evacuation team were then transferred onto the vessel offshore of the Port of Durban, in calm and favourable sea conditions.
“The patient, in a serious but stable condition, was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher.
In a high angle technical rescue operation the patient was hoisted from the ship's deck onto our NSRI rescue vessel.
He said the patient was taken by paramedics to the NSRI rescue base before being transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
“The patient is expected to make a full recovery,” said Wienand.
The Mercury
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