Durban - Durban pilots, rescue swimmers and paramedics got an early start to their day on Sunday when they flew out to airlift a heart attack victim from a bulk carrier.
Their patient was the MV Skelt’s Filipino chief cook who had been treated for a heart attack by the ship’s crew, who received advice from a local doctor.
The alert first went out on Friday afternoon when the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre put the NSRI Air Sea Rescue team on standby to evacuate the 59-year-old patient.
It was decided to wait for the ship to get closer to Durban before sending out a rescue team.
Then, at 4.50am on Sunday, a Durban-based 15 Squadron Oryx helicopter lifted off with a crew of pilot, Lieutenant-Colonel Graham Chisholm, co-pilot, Captain Altaff Sheik, and flight engineer, Warrant-Officer Wayde Sloane, of the SAAF, along with two NSRI rescue swimmers and two paramedics from Netcare 911.
Ten minutes later, the Oryx landed on the 180-metre ship about 20 nautical miles off Durban and the patient was then airlifted to Saint Augustine’s Hospital about 20 minutes later.
He was transferred to Entabeni Hospital in a stable condition.
Daily News