Edited by Bev Mortimer: An ill woman on a Patensie farm in the Eastern Cape town of Patenise was successfully airlifted across the swollen Kouga river in an aerial rescue operation on Sunday, 4 October.
NSRI volunteer duty crew from Jeffreys Bay assisted at the river where the woman needed to cross so she could get medical help . A helicopter service was requested.
The EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter could not initially be used owing to low cloud cover. Kristo Kritzinger, NSRI Jeffreys Bay station commander, said following a request from Kouga Fire and Rescue Services, NSRI duty crew responded to the Kouga River, near to the Kouga Dam in Patensie, with EC Government Health EMS, to evacuate the woman.
NSRI rescue swimmers with the NSRI Jeffreys Bay rescue vehicle and the NSRI Gqeberha rescue vehicle, towing NSRI rescue craft, and accompanied by NSRI CROCS (small floating rescue craft), responded to join emergency services, EMS and Fire and Rescue, on the scene. An NSRI crewman from Patensie also assisted.
When the cloud cover lifted in the afternoon the rescue helicopter was dispatched by EMS Metro Control and flew her across the river. She was then transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition in the care of EMS paramedics. She is expected to fully recover..
NSRI rescue crew remained on stand-by with the emergency services . NSRI returned to base at 7.50 pm.
The swift response plus the cooperation of all services on the scene for the care of the patient is commended the NSRI says.
