Mossel Bay: Maritime Medical Evacuation Operation

Shawn Thomson, NSRI Mossel Bay duty coxswain, said: At 04h00, Friday, 3 July, NSRI Mossel Bay was contacted following communications between NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Mossel Bay Port Control, MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), shipping agents and the Master of a cargo motor vessel, in relation to a 23 year old female Chinese seafarer onboard the motor vessel suffering a medical condition and requiring medical evacuation from the ship to hospital.

A WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, in cooperation with EMS Metro Control and MRCC, determined that the patient should, as a precaution, be transported to hospital as soon as possible.

The cargo motor vessel was offshore of Plettenberg Bay at the time, heading towards the Port of Port Elizabeth. As the morning progressed the motor vessel was requested to return towards Mossel Bay.

At 10h45, following ongoing communications, our NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were alerted to begin to prepare for the maritime medical evacuation operation – expected later that afternoon.

Relay ambulance services were alerted.

At 17h30 our NSRI Mossel Bay station 15 rescue base was opened and at 18h38 our NSRI rescue craft JLT Rescuer was launched, accompanied by NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew and by a Relay ambulance services rescue paramedic.

We rendezvoused with the vessel 3 nautical miles offshore of Mossel Bay where 2 NSRI MEX crew were transferred onto the vessel.

The patient, in a stable condition, walking wounded, was secured into personal protective gear and safety lines, and she was transferred onto our rescue craft.

In the care of the Relay rescue paramedic the patient was brought to our rescue base without incident and she was transported to hospital by Relay ambulance where is recovering in the care of doctors and nurses.

The maritime medical evacuation operation completed at 20h16.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), NSRI Mossel Bay duty controllers, WC Government Health EMS Metro Control, an EMS duty doctor, Relay ambulance services control, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Mossel Bay Port Control, TNPA Port Health, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the SA Police Service Sea Borderline Control and Mossel Bay BMA (Border Management Agency), the ships master and crew and the ships agent, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) in the logistics and coordination of this successful maritime medical evacuation operation.