A 40 year-old chokka fisherman suffering seizures was casualty evacuated from a boat by NSRI St Francis Bay and taken to hospital yesterday.
The Jeffreys Bay man, who suffers from epilepsy, was on board the fishing boat, Kraken, off-shore of Aasvogel, Tsitsikama.
Paul Hurley, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander, said at 4 pm, 5 July, NSRI St Francis Bay volunteer duty crew were activated by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following an emergency call to Telkom Maritime Radio Services from the boat reporting a man to be suffering seizures and possible heart attack.
The NSRI crew launched its sea rescue craft Spirit Of St Francis II and met up with the boat off-shore of Gibson Bay. The patient, who was in a serious condition, was transferred onto the NSRI rescue boat where resuscitation efforts were administered by NSRI medics.
The patient was taken to Port St Francis and then transferred to Kouga hospital in a serious but stable condition by ambulance.
Hospital staff have confirmed the patient was kept overnight and released and returned to work this morning, after being treated for known epilepsy. He apparently ran out of prescription seizure medication at sea.
(edited)
St Francis Chronicle 