Cape Town – The National Sea Rescue Institute was called upon to evacuate a 45-year-old crew member from a bulk carrier off Port Elizabeth after being alerted to the fact that the man may have contracted yellow jaundice.
Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said: “At 10am, Tuesday, 4th August, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew were placed on alert by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) reporting the bulk carrier Sring Hydrangea, sailing from India to Rio De Janeiro, heading towards Port Elizabeth and requiring medical assistance for their Chief Cook suffering suspected yellow jaundice and requiring evacuation to hospital.
“At 5pm, NSRI Port Elizabeth launched the sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV accompanied by a Relay Ambulance Services paramedic and rendezvoused with Spring Hydrangea 1.5 nautical miles off-shore of Port Elizabeth’s Port.”
Gray said: “The patient, a 45 year old Filipino, in a stable condition (walking wounded), was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and brought to shore and he has been transported to doctors in a Relay ambulance services ambulance for further medical evaluation and possible hospitalisation.”
Meanwhile, the NSRI station in Hout Bay in Cape Town responded to a call from a catamaran which had suffered battery failure and was running low on fuel.
Lyall Pringle, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said at 6am on Wednesday the Hout Bay duty crew was activated to assist the 66 foot Catamaran yacht Linschoten sailing from Saldanha Bay to Simonstown and which had suffered battery failure and was running low on diesel. There were four men onboard at the time with the catamaran about five nautical miles off-shore of Hout Bay.
“NSRI Hout Bay launched the sea rescue craft Nadine Gordimer and and on arrival on the scene the yacht was taken under tow and brought into Hout Bay safely without incident.”
ANA