Two ill fishermen evacuated by NSRI in separate operations off Eastern Cape coast

Two ailing fishermen have been successfully evacuated from fishing boats in two separate operations off-shore of St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Sunday.

NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II just before 7.30am on Saturday to patient evacuate a 41-year-old Humansdorp fisherman from the chokka fishing boat Jika suffering hemoptysis [coughing up blood], reportedly since Friday, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander Sarah Smith said.

On arrival on the scene, off-shore of Mosterts Hoek, the patient was taken aboard the sea rescue craft and brought to the Port of St Francis in a stable condition. He had been transported to hospital by private care ambulance for further treatment, she said.

Later on Saturday, the NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew again launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis at 8.44pm to rendezvous with the chokka fishing boat Silver Dorado three nautical miles off-shore of St Francis Bay to patient evacuate a 41-year-old Port Elizabeth fisherman suffering seizures.

“On arrival on the scene we transferred the patient onto our sea rescue craft and brought him to our sea rescue base where our NSRI paramedic treated the man for dehydration and hyperglycaemia [high blood sugar], and he has been transported to hospital by private care ambulance in a stable condition, Smith said.