Bay rescuers evacuate sick crewman off bulk carrier

A Port Elizabeth rescue team, observing all Covid-19 precautions, has evacuated a sick crewman off a passing ship.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the organisation’s Port Elizabeth emergency operations centre had been alerted on Wednesday night to prepare for the mission.

“The message was that we needed to evacuate a 25-year-old Myanmar sailor who was suffering a medical complaint,” he said.

A paramedic from the Eastern Cape Emergency Medical Services unit had joined them and at 1pm on Thursday they had launched their Spirit of Toft rescue craft and sped out to the bulk carrier which was lying 18.5km offshore, he said.

“The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre had advised the ship, which was in deep sea at the time, to head towards Port Elizabeth as the nearest port.”

When they got to the ship, an NSRI rescue swimmer and the Emergency Medical Services paramedic had boarded and taken charge of the situation, Lambinon said.

“The paramedic took over care of the patient from the ship’s medical crew and the NSRI member set up a technical extrication platform and safety line which was used to transfer the sick crewman onto the rescue craft.

“All Covid-19 precautions and protocols were observed during the operation.

“The patient, in a stable condition, and in the care of the paramedic, was brought to the institute’s base at the Port Elizabeth Harbour.

“He was transported to hospital by an Emergency Medical Services ambulance.”

Lambinon said the institute’s emergency operation centre and duty controllers, Western and Eastern Cape Emergency Medical Care Services, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Transnet and port health authorities had all partnered to make the operation a success.

He said information on the name of the ship, its country of origin and voyage schedule, as well as details of the patient and why Covid-19 precautions had been taken, could not be given out.

Nelson Mandela Bay Emergency Medical Services operations manager Ashwell Botha said the crewman had been taken to St George’s Hospital.

He would not comment on whether the sailor’s illness appeared to be coronavirus-related but confirmed that the paramedic had worn personal protective equipment as a precaution.

Botha said his paramedics had also assisted the NSRI in the rescue on Saturday of an Iraqi sailor who turned out to have malaria, and on Monday of two Romanians — one with suspected appendicitis and one with chronic hypertension and diabetes who had been unable to get ashore to buy his medication.