Members of the National Sea Rescue Institute crew at Richards Bay on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast rendezvoused with a vessel sailing from the United Arab Emirates on Saturday morning to evacuate a 27-year-old Indian sailor suffering from suspected malaria.
NSRI Richards Bay duty coxswain Jacque Kruger‚ said the duty crew were activated at about 5am on Saturday by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to rendezvous with the motor vessel Medi Hong Kong.
“The sea rescue craft Spirit of Round Table II was launched accompanied by a KZN Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and we rendezvoused with the ship 25 nautical miles off-shore.
“Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with communications.
“The EMS rescue paramedic was taken onboard the ship to medically assess and the patient‚ in a stable condition‚ was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and brought to our sea rescue station and he has been transported to hospital by an EMS ambulance‚” Kruger said.
He added: “We were first alerted on Wednesday and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and a Government Health EMS duty doctor had monitored the patient’s medical condition pending a patient evacuation while the ship was deep sea‚ and on approaching Richards Bay in the early hours of Saturday morning‚ the patient evacuation was authorised and TNPA activated our NSRI Richards Bay duty crew.”
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