A 27-year-old injured seafarer was bravely rescued by NSRI and EMS teams from the Rio Grande Express on Sunday off the coast of False Bay. The patient was taken to the hospital and safely evacuated, despite the extreme storm conditions.
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The NSRI Table duty crew and WC Government Health EMS received a notification on Saturday night to get ready to evacuate a patient who was hurt by a motor vessel that was predicted to be in Table Bay on Sunday.
The motor vessel was encountered in Table Bay off the coast of Bloubergstrand on Sunday morning by the NSRI Table Bay rescue craft DHL Deliverer, which was launched with the assistance of EMS rescue technicians.
However, due to extremely difficult and unfavourable sea conditions, efforts to remove the patient from the vessel were put on hold until the extreme storm conditions subsided.
Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF communications, and an EMS duty doctor gave medical advice to the ship’s medical staff.
The following organisations made an effort to determine the best options and investigate all possibilities to get the injured patient off the ship by land, sea or air: MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), Port of Table Bay Port Control, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Table Bay duty controllers, and NSRI operations. All options were thoroughly investigated before being exhausted, taking into account rough seas, gale force winds, and a storm surge forecast by SAWS (South African Weather Services).
In collaboration with Table Bay Port Control and Telkom Maritime Radio Services, NSRI made the decision to ask the ship to move to the more protected False Bay in order to facilitate an extrication operation there.
By anticipating the massive ship’s lee and taking advantage of the area’s offshore wind conditions, this would help. Though it would be after dark and this was a tense but calculated gamble not often seen to occur, the situation would be better assessed on her arrival in False Bay.
After examining every possibility, opportunity, incoming weather and logistical consideration, an NSRI commander made the difficult decision that, although it would be a long shot, it would be worthwhile to make every effort to get the man to the hospital.
The ship’s master was asked by Cape Town Radio (Telkom Maritime Radio Services) to weigh anchor in Table Bay and return to False Bay, using the top coordinates that NSRI Simon’s Town had given them.
The master of the ship proceeded with his vessel to False Bay.
After being on standby since the middle of the afternoon, NSRI Simon’s Town was activated at 7pm and the NSRI rescue crafts Donna Nicolas and Jack & Irene were launched along with EMS rescue technicians and a MEX (maritime extrication) crew.
At the NSRI station, an advanced life support ambulance team from Cape Medical Response (CMR) was mustered.
More members of the NSRI Simon’s Town crew had offered to help out at the station.
The 260-metre container motor vessel and the rescue craft of the NSRI met two nautical miles off the coast of Kalk Bay Harbour.
The vessel’s master was instructed to drift, and under difficult sea, wind, weather and logistical conditions, the rescue paramedics and the MEX crew boarded the ship with the utmost care and safety.
The ship’s crew and master demonstrated excellent cooperation; they deserve recognition for their professionalism, skillful seamanship, and support throughout the operation.
In the middle of the cold front storm that was passing over Cape Town at the time, in hazardous conditions, in an extreme technical high-angle precision rescue extrication operation, the patient, secured into a Bowman bag stretcher and in a stable condition, in the care of the rescue paramedics and the NSRI MEX crew, was hoisted onto the deck of the NSRI rescue craft and safely taken below decks of a rescue craft.
He was taken to the NSRI rescue station at Simon’s Town Harbour under the care of the EMS paramedics.
There, a full complement of off-duty NSRI Simon’s Town crew members had gathered at the rescue base to offer their assistance, demonstrating a great deal of respect, teamwork and gratitude for this enormous rescue effort by all those involved.
The patient, a 27-year-old male seafarer from Sri Lanka, was taken to the hospital by CMR (Cape Medical Response) ambulance and is now under the care of hospital personnel. His condition is stable.
The medical evacuation operation was successfully completed under extremely difficult circumstances, and NSRI commends the cooperation of all involved services, including the NSRI crews of Table Bay and Simon’s Town, the NSRI MEX crew, the EMS rescue paramedics, and the master of the container motor vessel Rio Grande Express and his crew.
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Picture: NSRI