NSRI rescues foreign sailor after a fall

SOUTH Africa’s National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) evacuated a foreign seaman off a ship in Port Elizabeth to receive medical treatment‚ following a fall on board.

Ian Gray‚ NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander‚ said the help was provided on Thursday evening.

They had been called to assist by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).

The sailor on the cargo vessel Zonda suffered hip and back pain following a fall onboard the vessel.

“The patient‚ a 29-yearold Indian seaman‚ was being treated in the ship’s medical room.

“The patient had fallen‚ reportedly from a 6m height onboard the vessel earlier in the day‚ suffering hip and back injuries and the duty doctor deemed it necessary for the patient to be evacuated to hospital as soon as possible‚” said Gray.

The ship‚ at that stage 62 nautical miles from Port Elizabeth‚ was diverted to head towards the nearest port.

The NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV at 6.10pm, accompanied by an Eastern Cape Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and rendezvoused with the ship four nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Port Elizabeth.

The technical rescue team rigged an extrication platform to transfer the patient from the ship to the sea rescue craft.

“The patient‚ medically stabilised‚ was transferred onto the sea rescue craft from the ship, secured into the Stokes basket stretcher using technical high-angle rigging and ropes.

“Once safely on the sea rescue craft we brought the patient into port in the care of our NSRI crew and the EMS rescue paramedic,” said Gray. — TMG