A 60-year-old Russian seaman was rushed to a Gqeberha hospital on Monday morning after falling seriously ill aboard a vessel off the Algoa Bay coast.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Gqeberha duty coxswain Mark Dawson said the duty crew were alerted at about 5am, after receiving a request for urgent medical assistance from a flo-flo vessel (float on-float off) about 55 nautical miles from the Port of Port Elizabeth.
“The request for urgent medical assistance had been intercepted on VHF marine radio communications by Telkom Maritime Radio Services.
“Our NSRI Gqeberha duty crew and Gardmed ambulance services responded to our NSRI Gqeberha station six rescue base where the NSRI Gqeberha rescue craft Rescue 6 was launched, accompanied by a Gardmed rescue paramedic and an NSRI Mex [maritime extrication] crew.”
He said the vessel was moving towards Gqeberha and the NSRI had rendezvoused with the vessel 25 nautical miles offshore, where two NSRI Mex crew and the Gardmed paramedic boarded the vessel, in fair seas.
NSRI Gqeberha crew rush to rescue Russian seaman
Image: EUGENE COETZEE
A 60-year-old Russian seaman was rushed to a Gqeberha hospital on Monday morning after falling seriously ill aboard a vessel off the Algoa Bay coast.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Gqeberha duty coxswain Mark Dawson said the duty crew were alerted at about 5am, after receiving a request for urgent medical assistance from a flo-flo vessel (float on-float off) about 55 nautical miles from the Port of Port Elizabeth.
“The request for urgent medical assistance had been intercepted on VHF marine radio communications by Telkom Maritime Radio Services.
“Our NSRI Gqeberha duty crew and Gardmed ambulance services responded to our NSRI Gqeberha station six rescue base where the NSRI Gqeberha rescue craft Rescue 6 was launched, accompanied by a Gardmed rescue paramedic and an NSRI Mex [maritime extrication] crew.”
He said the vessel was moving towards Gqeberha and the NSRI had rendezvoused with the vessel 25 nautical miles offshore, where two NSRI Mex crew and the Gardmed paramedic boarded the vessel, in fair seas.
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“The patient, in the care of the ship’s medical crew, was confirmed by the rescue paramedic to be in a serious condition,” Dawson said.
“The patient, secured into a safety harness, was transferred to our rescue craft and in the care of the rescue paramedic, in a serious but stable condition, with medical treatment continuing.
“We brought the patient safely to our NSRI rescue base, where he was transferred into a Gardmed ambulance and was transported to hospital in the care of paramedics.
“The patient is recovering in hospital in the care of doctors and nurses and we have wished him a speedy recovery.”
The Herald
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