Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said; “At 17h18 on Friday 25 November, the NSRI Port Elizabeth volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority following a request for medical assistance from the 324 meter iron ore bulk carrier SINO CARRIER reporting a crewman onboard, a 55 year old Korean sailor, who had suffered a stroke at deep sea and required medical evacuation to hospital.
“The ship, sailing from South America to China, had made its way closer to nearest port at Port Elizabeth.
“Sea conditions were calm.
“Our NSRI volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF TOFT accompanied by a Guardmed ambulance service paramedic and on arrival on-scene, just off the point of the Bay, 7 nautical miles from Port, (the ship could not approach land any closer due to her size and with her draft alone 20 meters and although fully laden with iron ore having 8 meters of freeboard), two NSRI rescuers accompanied by the Guardmed paramedic went aboard and stabilized the patient who presented with signs and symptoms of a cerebro vascular accident (a stroke) suffering full paralysis of the left side of his body but fully conscious. The patient was made comfortable and secured into a stokes basket stretcher and then belayed, (with the rescuers using a technical high angle rope system rigged over the edge of the ship), down the side of the ship to our sea rescue craft below.
“Once safely aboard our sea rescue craft the patient was transported to our sea rescue base where he was transferred into an ambulance and transported to hospital in a stable but serious condition for further treatment.”
