On Tuesday, March 5 at 4pm, NSRI responded to reports of an accident involving a fishing trawler at fishing grounds 30 nautical miles off-shore of Port Elizabeth, on which a Capetonian fisherman had been attacked by a shark.
The 46-year-old Cape Town fisherman, who was on the trawler with other crew members, sustained shark bite lacerations to his left forearm and left upper arm while attempting to release an approximately 2.5 metre-long shark that had been caught in his fishing nets and accidentally hauled on board by the fisherman.
The shark was successfully released from the nets and the trawler sent out for assistance and headed back towards shore.
In rough sea conditions, once the trawler was closer to the Port Elizabeth harbour, the sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft was launched, accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic. The rescuers met with the trawler four nautical miles south of the local sea rescue station.
An NSRI rescue swimmer was transferred onto the fishing trawler and the fisherman, walking wounded but in a stable condition, bandaged by his crew, was transferred onto the sea rescue craft and received medical treatment from the EMS rescue paramedic on board.
He was brought to shore and transported to hospital by an EMS ambulance for further treatment.
Picture: Pixabay
