Durban — Over the weekend, a 24-year-old man on-board a container motor vessel had to be evacuated and transported to hospital due to health reasons.

On Saturday afternoon, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Durban duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Durban Port Control to prepare to medically evacuate a 24-year-old man, from India, suffering a medical complaint, from a container motor vessel.

NSRI Durban coxswain Jacques Kruger said Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted marine VHF radio communications.

Kruger said NSRI rescue craft Alec Rennie was launched, accompanied by Netcare 911 rescue technicians.

On arrival at the vessel, 3 nautical miles from the port entrance, an NSRI MEX (maritime extrication) crew and the Netcare 911 rescue paramedic were transferred on to the vessel.

“The patient, in a stable condition, was transferred on to our rescue craft and, in the care of the Netcare 911 rescue paramedic, he was brought to our NSRI Durban station 5 rescue base. From there he was transported to the hospital by a Netcare 911 ambulance for further medical care,” Kruger said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday at 7.35am, the NSRI Port Edward duty crew were activated following reports of a vehicle, boat and trailer, in distress in the surf zone at the Silver Beach boat launching area.

NSRI Port Edward station commander Gert du Plessis said the SAPS and Search and Rescue were placed on alert.

Du Plessis said it appeared that while launching their boat, four local men sustained an incident where waves engulfed their vehicle, boat and trailer.

“There were no injuries and NSRI, using our NSRI tractor, assisted them to recover their boat, vehicle and trailer. No further assistance was required,” Du Plessis said.

“During a beach boat launch of this nature, it does happen from time to time that a vehicle motor may cut out and during incoming wave sets, as what appears to have happened here, the vehicle, boat and trailer, are engulfed by the incoming wave sets.”

Du Plessis commended the Marlin Ski-Boat Club for its assistance.

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Daily News