Sailor suffering abdominal pains evacuated from ship near PE

A sailor suffering abdominal pains was evacuated off the container vessel MSC Laurence, sailing from Durban to Port Elizabeth’s Port of Ngqura on Monday.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Port Elizabeth station commander Justin Erasmus said the NSRI duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following the request for the sailor to be evacuated.

Erasmus said: “We launched the sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV, accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic, and rendezvoused with the ship 10 nautical miles offshore from the Port of Port Elizabeth and the EMS rescue paramedic and an NSRI rescue team were put aboard the vessel.”

He said the patient, an Indonesian sailor, 61, was stabilised and transferred to the sea rescue craft and brought to the sea rescue station.

He was then transported to hospital by an emergency management services ambulance in a stable condition, said Erasmus.

In another evacuation effort by the NSRI on Sunday night, the NSRI Table Bay duty crew launched a sea rescue craft, accompanied by a Western Cape Government Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescue paramedic, to rendezvous with the Bulk Carrier Marianne Stoeger, sailing from New Orleans to Singapore and reporting a crewman onboard to be suffering chest pains.

Quentin Botha, NSRI Table Bay station commander, said: “A Government Health EMS duty doctor had evaluated the patients condition in communications with the ship and it was deemed necessary for the patient to be transported to hospital at the earliest opportunity.

“The ship, passing by the Cape coast at the time, headed into Table Bay and NSRI Table Bay were tasked by the Transnet National Ports Authority to carry out the patient evacuation operation.”

Botha continued that on arrival on the scene offshore of the Port of Table Bay, the EMS rescue paramedic and two NSRI Table Bay rescuers were put aboard the vessel.

“The patient was stabilised before being transferred onto our sea rescue craft and he was brought into the Port of Table Bay to our sea rescue base and the 45-year-old South Korean sailor has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition for further treatment,” said Botha.

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