YANGZE 10

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Medevac off Cape Town

In the evening of Jan 5, 2014, an inured seaman was medevaced from the "Weltrust" and taken to hospital in Cape Town. The bulkcarrier was coming from Saldanha and bound for Australia when he reported that a 25-year old Chinese seaman had fallen on deck, suffering lacerations and bruising to his thigh and leg. After a telephonic evaluation by a medical doctor, arrangements were made for a 22 Squadron helicopter together with an NSRI Helicopter Rescue Unit to rendezvous with the ship at sea, then 20 n.miles offshore of Cape Point. However, high winds and rough seas ruled out the use of the helicopter unit and the NSRI was instructed to launch a rescue boat and bring the injured seaman ashore. The ship was meanwhile requested to sail towards Cape Town where a rendezvous with the NSRI craft "Spirit of Vodacom" was made offshore of Mouille Point. After going on board using a stokes basket and stabilising the patient, medics and the NSRI team transferred the patient onto the "Spirit of Vodacom" using the basket and a ship’s crane. The injured sailor was then taken to the NSRI Table Bay sea rescue base where an ambulance was waiting to take him to hospital.