Two ailing fishermen were evacuated from their vessels in two separate operations off the Cape coast at Struisbaai and St Francis Bay respectively overnight, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Saturday.
NSRI Agulhas duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Agulhas with NSRI medics on board at 10pm on Friday night and rendezvoused with the the fishing vessel Rigel IV three nautical miles off-shore of Struisbaai to evacuate a 25-year-old Cape Town fisherman suffering two amputated fingers and a crushed finger, NSRI Agulhas station commander Reinard Geldenhuys said.
The fisherman was injured while fishing in deep-sea fishing grounds, reportedly in an accident with a hydraulic winch, he said.
A Western Cape government health duty doctor had spoken to the vessel’s crew earlier and had evaluated the patient’s condition. While the vessel headed towards the nearest port at Struisbaai, the crew treated the injured man, advised by the duty doctor in communications, which included keeping both amputated fingers on ice, believed to be the index finger and middle finger, on the right hand.
On arrival on the scene, NSRI medics boarded the vessel and the patient, already bandaged and in a stable condition, was transferred onto the sea rescue craft. With both amputated fingers on ice, the patient was brought to Struisbaai harbour where paramedics from EMR private ambulance services took over care and transported him to a hospital in a stable condition. The operation was completed at midnight, Geldenhuys said.
In the second incident, NSRI St Francis Bay station commander Sarah Smith said duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II just after midnight to rendezvous with the fishing vessel Santa Lara, five nautical miles from the Port of St Francis and two nautical miles off-shore.
The vessel’s captain had reported that they were steaming towards St Francis Bay, advising that they had a crewman on board suffering breathing difficulties.
On arrival on the scene, NSRI medics boarded the vessel and medical treatment on the 43-year-old Port Elizabeth fisherman commenced. He was transferred to the rescue craft, with oxygen therapy continuing. He was brought into port in a stable condition and taken into the care of a private ambulance service’s paramedics who transported him to a hospital in a stable condition. The operation was completed at 1.30am on Saturday morning, Smith said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
