NSRI St Francis Bay evacuate three ill fishermen off boats at sea

St Francis Bay NSRI volunteer duty crew evacuated three fishermen suffering from dehydration in three separate incidents over the past few days.

This is according to a report by Neil Jones, NSRI St Francis Bay duty coxswain.

The first incident occurred on 24 February. The NSRI duty crew evacuated an ill fisherman offshore on the chokka boat Miaaka.

The crew secured the patient, suffering suspected dehydration, into a basket stretcher and brought him ashore on the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II. He was taken to hospital where he is in a stable condition.

In another incident on 25 February,  NSRI duty crew assisted a 41 year-old fisherman suffering from dehydration. The NSRI met up with the chokka fishing boat, Silver Arrow, and transferred the patient to the sea rescue craft, Spirit of St Francis II.

He was brought ashore and then taken to hospital by ambulance. He is a stable condition.
Then at 8.18 am yesterday, 27 February, NSRI duty crew responded to a request for aid from the chokka fishing boat, Le Masch, offshore of  Mosterts Hoek, 20 nautical miles from the Port St Francis NSRI rescue base, to assist a 28 year-old Port Elizabeth crewman also suffering from suspected dehydration.
The patient was brought to Port St Francis aboard Spirit of St Francis II in a stable condition, then he was secured into a basket stretcher.

He was taken into the care of EC Government Health EMS paramedics when his condition deteriorated, then stabilised and then transported to hospital by EMS ambulance.