Sea rescuers go to aid of ill sailor aboard vessel

For the second time in just a few days members of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) had to go to the aid of a sailor suffering from breathing difficulties on a vessel off the Eastern Cape coast on Saturday.

The NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew was activated at about 10.41am on Saturday following a request for medical assistance from the chokka fishing boat Alchemist reporting a crewman on board suffering breathing difficulties because of asthma at Aasvogels‚ 23 nautical miles from the St Francis Bay sea rescue base.

“The sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II was launched and on arrival on the scene the patient‚ an adult man‚ from Port Elizabeth‚ was transferred onto the sea rescue craft and medical treatment commenced while en route to our sea rescue base.

“On arrival in the Port of St Francis Private Care ambulance services paramedics took over care of the patient and the man has been transported to hospital by Private Care ambulance in a serious but stable condition for further treatment‚” said Sarah Smith‚ NSRI St Francis Bay station commander.

An NSRI East London duty crew had to deal with a similar situation on Wednesday morning when it had to evacuate a crewman off the fishing vessel Ebayi who was suffering breathing difficulties‚ weakness and a suspected throat infection.

“On arrival on the scene the casualty crewman‚ a 46-year-old local man‚ was transferred onto our sea rescue craft and brought into the Port of East London and he was transported to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment‚” said Geoff McGregor‚ NSRI East London station commander.