Seriously ill Indian crewman evacuated from oil tanker off Durban

An Indian crewman was evacuated from a crude-oil tanker near Durban after he became seriously ill on Thursday.

Jonathan Kellerman, station commander of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in Durban, said a rescue team was dispatched after 7pm on Thursday night to the tanker which was three nautical miles off Durban.

Kellerman said the 58-year-old man was reported to be in a “serious condition”. A rescue team boarded the vessel and took over care of the patient from the ship's medical crew.

“The patient was secured into a Stokes basket stretcher, a transfer rig was configured, and the patient was transferred from the ship on to the sea rescue craft using high angle ropes and safety ropes.

“The crewman was taken to the NSRI base in a stable condition before being transferred to a nearby hospital.​"