Filipino crewman rescued after life-threatening fall onboard ship in Gqeberha
Filipino crewman rescued after life-threatening fall onboard ship in Gqeberha! A 34-year-old Filipino ship crewman is recovering in hospital after a life-threatening fall onboard a vessel near Gqeberha. The extensive rescue operation, carried out by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and medical teams, ensured his survival after he sustained critical injuries.
According to NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon, the patient is now in stable condition under the care of doctors and nurses, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
Emergency Medical Evacuation
The ship’s captain called for urgent medical assistance just after midday on Friday, reporting that his crew was battling to save their fellow crewman’s life. The injured seaman had fallen six meters down a flight of stairs, landing on a hard surface and sustaining multiple life-threatening injuries.
Filipino crewman rescued
Initially, the injured crewman stopped breathing, but the ship’s medical team managed to restore spontaneous breathing through resuscitation. Despite their efforts, his condition remained critical, and he required immediate evacuation to a hospital.
NSRI Gqeberha coxswain Ian Gray confirmed that the duty crew was activated to respond to the emergency on a 300-metre bulk carrier vessel heading toward Gqeberha. The ship, originally moving at seven knots, increased speed to 10 knots in an effort to reach medical help faster.
Challenging Rescue in Rough Conditions
Given the size of the vessel and the critical condition of the patient, the NSRI anticipated a complex operation. The NSRI duty controllers called in their volunteer rescue team, along with Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics from EC Government Health EMS to provide urgent medical intervention.
The rescue operation took place 35 nautical miles offshore in Algoa Bay, where the sea conditions presented 2.5-metre swells. The rescue team boarded the ship and immediately began treating the patient with Advanced Life Support.
The biggest challenge was safely extricating the injured man from the confined space where he had fallen. The rescue technicians carefully assessed the situation, identifying the safest way to bring him to the ship’s deck for evacuation.
High-Angle Rope Extrication Saves the Patient
Due to the ship’s structure and the location of the injured crewman, the rescue team had to execute a high-angle technical rope extrication. The patient was carefully secured onto a spinal trauma board and placed in a Stokes basket stretcher to prevent further injury.
The intense operation required hauling the patient almost three stories vertically, using rope and pulley systems. Throughout the process, the paramedics continued providing medical care, ensuring he remained stable.
Once the injured crewman was brought to the upper deck, he was transferred onto the rescue vessel and transported to shore, where an EMS ambulance rushed him to the hospital ICU.
Successful Rescue Commended
Despite the difficult conditions, the collaborative efforts of the NSRI crew, EMS paramedics, and the ship’s medical team played a crucial role in saving the man’s life.
Gray praised the dedicated rescue teams, stating:
“The efforts of our NSRI crew, the EMS rescue paramedics, and the ship’s crew, in challenging conditions, to save the life of the casualty, are commendable.”
The injured crewman remains under observation in the ICU, but doctors are optimistic about his full recovery.
