There were four men on the boat at the time.
Following the sea rescue operation which lasted just over an hour, the two injured fishermen are recovering in hospital.
Clifford Ireland, NSRI Durban station commander, said: “At 11.45am on Saturday, 26 April, NSRI Durban crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services, while on stand-by at the NSRI Durban sea rescue base for the Durban Ski-boat Festival, were activated following a request for urgent medical assistance from the 5.5 metre ski-boat Mduduze, for two crewmen seriously injured when a marlin being fished using a line and rod jumped into the boat and over the back of the boat. It caused injuries to two of the crewmen.
“The two men injured are a 35-year-old crewman and a 33-year-old crewman. The NSRI has not been released their names.
“According to skipper Marc Gieseler, of Durban, his 35-year-old crewman was steering the boat, while Marc wrestled to reel in an approximately 140kg marlin on his rod and line. On reeling the marlin towards the boat, the marlin launched out of the water in front of the boat, crashed over the front of the boat and through the windscreen. The fin of the marlin clipped the 35-year-old on the left side, chest and back torso, causing him to fall over backwards onto the 33-year-old crewman, who was pushed backwards and on falling over backwards, he landed with his back on a fishing rod holder. The incident caused severe injuries to both crewman.
“The 35 year old crewman sustained a laceration to his back, de-gloving of his rib cage and laceration to his stomach, and the 33-year-old crewman had a laceration and puncture wound to his shoulder and back.
“Our NSRI Durban volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft EIKOS RESCUER II and MEGAN II, accompanied by a Netcare 911 paramedic and responded. “Both men were found to be in a serious condition. The boat was also found to have sustained extensive damage. “Both patients were transferred onto the sea rescue craft MEGAN II and were treated by the Netcare 911 paramedic, assisted by the NSRI medics, and rushed to the sea rescue station. They were transferred into a waiting Netcare 911 ambulance and taken to hospital in serious but stable conditions.
“Both crew members were stable in the intensive care unit in hospital and were expected to fully recover.
The EIKOS RESCUER II escorted the damaged casualty boat to the Port of Durban.
