Injured Filipino seafarer rescued from cargo ship in ‘complex’ rescue

The seafarer is now recovering in hospital. A seriously injured Filipino seafarer was safely evacuated from a cargo vessel off the coast of Cape Town. The seafarer was evacuated on Saturday after a complex rescue operation involving the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), emergency medical services and maritime authorities. Rescue According to the NSRI, the operation began Friday evening, when its Emergency Operations Centre and Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) coordinated efforts to evacuate the 30-year-old crew member from a 229-metre cargo vessel that had diverted toward Table Bay while en route to Singapore. With unfavourable sea conditions forecast for Saturday, rescue teams closely monitored the weather to identify the safest opportunity to carry out the medical evacuation. A Western Cape Government Health EMS doctor remained in contact with the vessel’s medical crew, advising on treatment for the injured sailor. Cargo ship At 11:44am on Saturday, NSRI Table Bay crews were activated after receiving confirmation that the vessel would arrive offshore around 1:30pm. NSRI rescue craft DHL Deliverer and Spirit of Day were launched at midday, accompanied by Maritime Extrication (MEX) specialists. The teams rendezvoused with the vessel about 12 nautical miles offshore, in sea swells ranging from 2.5m to 3m, at times exceeding 5m. “The Master of the ship manoeuvred his ship to create a lee against the running sea swells for our rescue craft to come alongside the ship,” Quentin Botha, NSRI Table Bay station commander, said. Extrication Two NSRI MEX crew members boarded the vessel and, together with the ship’s crew, established a technical high-angle extrication system. “The patient, in a serious but stable condition, was secured into a Bauman Bag Stretcher, and he was hoisted, in a technical high-angle hoisting operation, onto our NSRI rescue craft.” Botha said NSRI medics treated the patient during transport back to shore, where an EMS ambulance was waiting at the rescue base. “He was then transferred to the care of EMS paramedics and transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.” Hospital According to Botha, the seafarer is now recovering in hospital. “The Master of the ship and his crew are commended for their cooperation and their assistance in this challenging maritime medical evacuation operation.” The rescue operation was completed at 4:26pm.