Cape Town - Knysna, Gqeberha and Durban National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) duty crews had their hands full following reports of incidents in their regions this week.
NSRI Knysna duty skipper, Jerome Simonis, said on Tuesday morning just after 10am, their duty crew were activated following an urgent request for assistance from local crew and friends onboard a 23-foot catamaran that was unsuspectingly broadsided by a wave while exiting the Knysna Heads to go to sea.
The NSRI Knysna rescue crafts Jay Tee IV and Eileen Meadway were dispatched.
“It appears that the men, aged 72, 30 and 28, were flung across the boat deck causing injuries in the incident.
“They had recovered themselves and steered out the Knysna Heads to safer waters while raising the alarm.
“One man, the skipper, was seriously injured, one crewman sustained slight injuries and one crewman wasn’t injured.
“All the casualty crew were transferred onto the rescue craft where medical attention was immediately rendered to the injured,” said Simonis.
NSRI Gqeberha duty skipper, Justin Erasmus, said Tuesday morning just after 6am, their duty crew were activated to investigate reports from the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre and Transnet National Ports Authority Port Control, of a fishing trawler beached at Kings Beach.
“On arrival on the scene it was found that all eight crewmen were accounted for and had disembarked safely and without injury or incident and no further assistance was required.
“South African Maritime Safety Authority will investigate the causes of the vessel coming aground,” said Erasmus.
The owners were also investigating efforts to re-float their fishing vessel.
In Durban, NSRI duty skipper, Jonathan Kellerman, said that on Sunday morning, their duty crew gathered at the NSRI Durban rescue station in response to a request to evacuate a Chinese crewman who had sustained a medical complaint onboard a 300m crude oil tanker.
The NSRI rescue craft Alec Rennie, accompanied by Netcare 911 rescue paramedics, rendezvoused with the vessel four nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Durban Breakwater.
“The 49-year-old patient, in a stable condition, walking wounded, was transferred onto the rescue craft without incident, assisted by an NSRI rescue swimmer and a Netcare 911 rescue paramedic who had been put onto the motor vessel to assess the patient and aid in the transfer.
“The patient was brought to our NSRI Durban rescue station and transported in a Netcare 911 ambulance to hospital for further care in a stable condition,” said Kellerman.
Cape Times