-Edited by Bev Mortimer- A 60 year-old Indonesian man suffering from a serious medical condition was evacuated to hospital from an bulk carrier boat at sea, about 12 nautical miles offshore of Green Point, Cape Town this week.
Marc de Vos, NSRI Table Bay duty coxswain, says NSRI Table Bay launched its rescue craft Rescue 3, at dawn, accompanied by 2 WC Government Health EMS rescue paramedics, to meet up with the boat after being alerted at on Tuesday night. The boat diverted from deep sea and headed towards Cape Town.
The NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), NSRI Table Bay duty controllers, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Police Sea Borderline Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, EMS Metro Control, Netcare 911 ambulance services, an EMS duty doctor and the ship agent assisted Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in the co-ordination and logistics of the medical evacuation operation.
In rough seas with a 3-meter swell, the boat provided a lee to the NSRI rescue craft to draft alongside boat and assist two NSRI crew members to board the boat and evacuate the Indonesian man.
The patient, in a serious condition, in the care of the ship’s medical crew and NSRI members, was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher and transferred onto the NSRI rescue craft.
The NSRI rescue boat took the patient, in the care of EMS rescue paramedics on board to Robben Island Gateway Jetty, from where he was then transferred into an ambulance and transported to hospital.
Everyone involved in the emergency patient evacuation operation were commended for swift action.
Watch video: https://youtu.be/ZrOlBMqGxD0
– photos from video
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St Francis Chronicle 