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Indian sailor rescued off Port Elizabeth following a 6-meter fall aboard a passing cargo ship

A 29-year-old Indian sailor was rescued by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in Port Elizabeth in a stable but serious condition following a 6-meter fall aboard a passing cargo ship on Thursday afternoon. According to Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander; "At 16h00, Thursday, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew were alerted by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to prepare for the arrival of the cargo vessel, Zonda, to evacuate a 29-year-old seaman to hospital suffering hip and back pain following a fall onboard the vessel." Gray said that the 29-year-old Indian seaman was being treated in the ship's medical room and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and Telkom Maritime Radio Services had facilitated the Government Health EMS duty doctor to evaluate the patients condition by radio telephone. "The patient had fallen reportedly from a 6-meter height onboard the vessel earlier in the day suffering hip and back injuries and the duty doctor deemed it necessary for the patient to be evacuated to hospital as soon as possible and the ship, at that stage 62 nautical miles from Port Elizabeth, was diverted to head towards the nearest Port and due to be off-shore of the Port of Port Elizabeth at approximately 18h00," he said. "NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV at 18h10 accompanied by an EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic and rendezvoused with the ship 4 nautical miles off-shore of the Port of Port Elizabeth. http://www.rnews.co.za/article/14677/sailor-rescued-off-port-elizabeth-following-6-meter-fall-aboard-cargo-ship