Darius van Niekerk, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said; “On 24 April at 10h00 NSRI Mykonos volunteers launched our rescue craft Spirit of Freemasonry to rendezvous with the oil tanker Mar Princess to provide medical assistance to the Master of the ship, a 38 year old Pakistani, suffering a stroke.
The call had been received by Maritime Authorities the day before and an SA Air Force 22 Squadron helicopter, NSRI Air Sea Rescue Unit and Metro EMS rescue paramedics were placed on alert at approximately 16h00 but due to the distance from shore, off Port Nolloth, where the ship was at that stage, and the approaching nightfall, the decision was taken to effect a boat sea rescue operation staged from Saldanha Bay in the morning and NSRI Mykonos were placed on alert.
A Metro EMS doctor relayed medical information to the ships medical crew to assist with treatment during the night.
NSRI Mykonos sea rescue craft, accompanied by an Atlantic Medical Services paramedic, rendezvoused with the ship at midday 7 nautical miles off-shore of Saldanha Bay, in rough 4 to 5 meter swells and a 21 knot North Westerly wind, and the patient was stabilized, transferred onto our sea rescue craft and brought ashore where we were met by Metro EMS paramedics from the METRO EMS RED CROSS AMS HELICOPTER who further assisted to stabilize the patient who was then transported to hospital in a stable condition.
Then at approximately 15h00 we were activated to assist the yacht Muirsheen Durkin, sailing from Cape Town to Namibia and experiencing engine failure.
We rendezvoused with the yacht off-shore of Langebaan and towed the yacht safely into port where she will effect repairs.”
