German tourist evacuated from cruise ship off the Cape

The South African Air Force (SAAF) and National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) came to the aid of a cruise ship passenger on Sunday.

A German tourist required a medical evacuation from a liner roughly 40km from the Cape Agulhas shore.

After reaching land safely, the 72-year-old was treated and is believed to be in a stable condition.  

Stretchered via helicopter

A call went out at roughly 11:30 am on 10 November, with the SAAF Oryx helicopter from the 22 Squadron preparing for operation.

Three NSRI airborne sea rescue swimmers and provincial emergency service paramedics were flown to the ship off the Cape.

Two rescuers were sent down to the ship deck where they found the elderly tourist in the care of the cruise liner’s medical crew.

“The unidentified patient was hoisted by the stretcher into the helicopter followed by the two rescue crew,” confirmed NSRI communications officer Craig Lambinon.

Multiple unit success

The stricken tourist was airlifted to the Ysterplaat airbase where he was stabilised by private medical teams and taken to hospital via ambulance.

Lambinon thanked the air and duty controllers of the various organisations, as well as Transnet National Ports Authority Port of Table Bay and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre for their role in the success.

NSRI success

Earlier in the year, the NSRI rescued four scuba divers who had drifted roughly 33km from where they had surfaced, losing sight of their dive boat.

The four scuba divers, three men and a woman between the ages of 18 and 43, further drifted away in sea currents contributed by the sea conditions in excess of 4.5-metre sea swells, said the NSRI.

Two men are from the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, while a father and daughter are from Cape Town.

Adverse weather conditions are said to have been to blame for the scuba divers’ ordeal.

NOW READ: ‘Dehydrated and tired’ − NSRI rescues four scuba divers after drifting from boat in KZN