The National Sea Rescue Institute reported that two ill crewmen had to be evacuated from ships and ferried by sea rescue craft to Cape Town for treatment on Saturday
National Sea Rescue Institute Table Bay duty coxswain Tome Mendes said the crew was placed on alert on Friday evening by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to evacuate a crewman requiring medical care from a cargo ship approaching Cape Town which was expected to arrive in Table Bay in the early hours of Saturday.
It was learnt that during the night a second ill crewman needed to be evacuated from a bulk carrier cargo ship that was also approaching Cape Town.
On Saturday morning the NSRI crew accompanied by two Western Cape government EMS rescue paramedics met with the cargo ship 10 nautical miles offshore of the Port of Table Bay.
Two NSRI rescue crew and an EMS rescue paramedic were transferred onto the ship and took over care of the patient a 32 year old Russian, from the ship’s medical crew.
The patient was transferred onto the sea rescue craft using the Pilots ladder and was brought to NSRI Table Bay rescue base at the V&A Waterfront and the patient was transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a stable condition for further medical care.
On Saturday evening, the NSRI crew, accompanied by two rescue paramedics, rendezvoused with the bulk carrier 10 nautical miles offshore of Green Point to evacuate an ill 22-year-old Filipino.
Another patient was transferred onto the sea rescue craft using a harness and high-angle rescue rig to lower the patient onto the deck. The patient was brought to NSRI Table Bay rescue base at the V&A Waterfront and the patient was transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a stable condition for further medical care.
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