Medical evacuation operations at sea - Gqeberha and Durban and a patient assisted on a yacht at Durban Marina

Medical evacuation operations at sea - Gqeberha and Durban and a patient assisted on a yacht at Durban Marina
14 September 2025 https://www.nsri.org.za/2025/09/sunday-14-september-medical-evacuation-o...

GQEBERHA: Jonathan Tufts, NSRI Gqeberha deputy station commander, said: on Friday, 12 September, at around 22h30, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were placed on alert to prepare for a medical evacuation operation, on Saturday morning, for a 29 year old Filipino male seafarer suffering an injury on a motor vessel heading towards Gqeberha from deep sea.

The ships medical crew were in communications with a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, coordinated by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and by EC and WC EMS Metro Control, in cooperation with Telkom Maritime Radio Services.

The patient was reported to be in a stable condition.

EC Government Health EMS dispatched an EMS ambulance to stand-by at the NSRI Gqeberha station 6 rescue base.

At 06h45, Saturday, 13 September, NSRI Gqeberha launched the NSRI rescue craft Bay Guardian, accompanied by NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew.

We rendezvoused with the motor vessel 20 nautical miles offshore of the Port of Port Elizabeth.

2 NSRI MEX crew boarded the vessel and secured the patient into a safety harness, safety lines and protective gear while setting up high angle extrication. Using the ships combination ladder the patient was transferred safely onto the NSRI rescue craft.

The patient was brought to our NSRI rescue base and he was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition where he is recovering in the care of doctors and nurses.

Simon Williams, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said:

On Tuesday evening, 9 September, NSRI Gqeberha duty crew were placed on alert to prepare for a medical evacuation operation at sea for a 39 year old Indian male seafarer suffering a medical condition - scheduled to be offshore of Gqeberha on Thursday, 11 September, early evening.

The vessel, at that stage, was 800 nautical miles from Cape Recife, West of Cape Town, and heading towards Gqeberha.

The ships medical crew were in communications with a WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, coordinated by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and by EC and WC EMS Metro Control, in cooperation with Telkom Maritime Radio Services.

The patient was reported to be in a stable condition.

At 16h14, Thursday, 11 September, NSRI Gqeberha launched the NSRI rescue craft Bay Guardian, accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and NSRI MEX (Maritime Extrication) crew.

We rendezvoused with the motor vessel 10 nautical miles offshore of Cape Recife where 2 NSRI MEX crew and the EMS rescue paramedic were transferred onto the vessel.

The patient was secured into a safety harness, safety lines and protective gear while setting up high angle extrication and the patient was transferred safely onto the NSRI rescue craft.

The patient was brought to our NSRI rescue base, in the care of the EMS paramedic, and he was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition where he is recovering in the care of doctors and nurses.

In both operations ... NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of Port Elizabeth Port Control, Port Health Authorities, A WC Government Health EMS duty doctor, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, EC Government Health EMS Metro Control and Police Sea Borderline Control, assisted MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), in the logistics and coordination of this medical evacuation operation.