The National Sea Rescue Institute’s Gqeberha Station 6 crew and Department of Health’s paramedics successfully rescued a critically injured sailor from a bulk carrier ship. The sailor, a 32-year-old Burmese seaman, had fallen 6 meters down a flight of stairs on the ship, sustaining life-threatening injuries. The ship’s medical crew had managed to restore his breathing through CPR, but he remained in critical condition. The NSRI team, along with EMS ALS rescue paramedics, raced against time to reach the vessel, which was 46 nautical miles offshore.
Once on board, the rescue crew navigated through narrow passageways and slippery staircases to reach the injured sailor in a confined space. They established a high-angle technical rope extrication method to safely lift the patient vertically to the deck of the ship. Despite language barriers with the ship’s crew, who were from Myanmar, the operation was successful, and the patient was transferred onto the NSRI rescue craft for further medical treatment. The entire operation, from launching the rescue craft to stabilizing the patient and returning to the base, took just under two hours.
Extensive medical treatment continued on the NSRI rescue craft to further stabilize the patient before transferring him to the hospital. The efforts of the NSRI crew, EMS rescue paramedics, and the ship’s crew were commended for their dedication in saving the sailor’s life. The patient was transported to the hospital in a serious but stable condition, where he remained under the care of doctors and nurses in the ICU. The captain of the vessel expressed deep appreciation to the NSRI and EMS for their successful rescue mission.
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