A 34 year-old Ceres fisherman completely amputated his left index finger with an ice chopping knife while cutting ice blocks near Hermanus this morning.

According to Gideon Loubser, NSRI Hermanus duty controller,  at 9.15 am, 29 July 2012, NSRI Hermanus volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following a request for medical assistance from the long line fishing trawler ZndeliI. The vessel reported that a crewman from Woolsley, near Ceres in the Western Cape, had suffered complete amputation of his finger.

The duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Hunters Gold Rescuer and met up with the vessel that was heading towards Hermanus from fishing grounds.

An EMR private ambulance services ambulance was summoned to the rescue base.

On arrival on-scene, 4 nautical miles off-shore of Danger Point,  NSRI medics stabilised the patient and he was transferred to the rescue craft and brought to the rescue station in Hermanus harbour – with his amputated finger wrapped in sterile gauze and kept on ice.

The patient was transported to hospital by an EMR private ambulance in a stable condition but doctors were unfortunately not able to re-attach his finger. “The amputation was on the proximal phalange of the left index finger,” Loubser added.

(Article edited)

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