Jean le Roux, NSRI Hermanus duty coxswain, said: At 19h48, Tuesday, 10 February, NSRI Hermanus were placed on alert by NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) following reports from MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) of a fisherman injured on a local 65 meter stern trawler fishing vessel.
The fishing vessel, reported to be heading towards Hermanus from deep sea fishing grounds, and expected offshore of Hermanus on Wednesday morning.
In communications between MRCC, a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor and the fishing vessel, the patient, age 47, from De Doorns, in the care of the ships medical crew, was required to be medically evacuated to hospital on the ships arrival offshore of Hermanus.
At 05h41, Wednesday, 11 February, our NSRI Hermanus duty crew launched the NSRI rescue craft The Legacy, accompanied by an EMS rescue paramedic and by NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew, in dense fog conditions but calm seas.
An EMS ambulance was dispatched to our NSRI Hermanus station 17 rescue base to stand-by.
In cooperation with MRCC an all ships alert was broadcast by Telkom Maritime Radio Services alerting marine navigational traffic and a high number of fishing vessels, that were operating in the Walker Bay area at the time, of the medical evacuation operation that was underway.
We rendezvoused with the fishing vessel in Walker Bay, 5 nautical miles offshore of Danger Point.
The EMS rescue paramedic and 2 NSRI MEX crewmen were transferred onto the fishing vessel where assisted by the ships medical crew the patient was medically assessed by the paramedic.
The patient, in a stable condition, was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher, and personal protective gear, and in a technical high angle operation the patient was transferred onto the NSRI rescue craft followed by the rescue crew.
Safely onboard our NSRI rescue craft, the patient, in the care of the EMS paramedic, was brought to our NSRI rescue base and he was transported to hospital by the EMS ambulance, in a stable condition.
The patient is recovering in hospital in the care of doctors and nurses. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The fishing vessel returned to sea to fishing grounds.
The medical evacuation operation was completed at 09h54.
NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Hermanus duty controllers, WC Government Health EMS Metro Control, an EMS duty doctor, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority and Port Health, Telkom Maritime Radio Services and the fishing vessel’s shore controllers, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) in the logistics and coordination of this medical evacuation operation.
The cooperation and coordination of all involved is commended.
Knuckles
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