Injured crewman evacuated for medical treatment and then returned to ship of West Coast – NSRI

An injured crewman from a cargo carrier lying off the West Coast was successfully brought ashore for medical treatment and returned to his ship on Friday, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) at 8am on Friday following a request for medical assistance from the cargo carrier MV New Taizhou, at anchor about nine nautical miles off-shore of St Helena Bay on the West Coast, NSRI Mykonos deputy station commander Morne Dettmer said.

The ship’s crew reported that a 25-year-old Chinese crewman was injured in a fall on board the vessel. The crewman had suffered “back pain and lacerations” in the fall, he said.

“We were informed that the back pain had been relieved following medical assistance by the ship’s medical crew but arrangements had been made for the crewman to be seen to by a doctor on shore.

“The sea rescue craft Gemini Rescuer II was towed to St Helena Bay and launched and on arrival at the ship the injured crewman, walking wounded and in a stable and satisfactory condition, was transferred onto our sea rescue craft accompanied by a ship’s crewman acting as interpreter, and we brought the injured sailor to shore where he was seen to by a doctor.

“Later, our NSRI Mykonos crew, still in the area at the time, were requested to transport the seamen back to the ship following treatment by the doctor and we carried out the return trip delivering the two crewmen back to the ship without incident. Sea conditions were calm and the operation was completed at about [2pm], Dettmer said.