Ballito NSRI joins rescue of critically-ill Indonesian man aboard a foreign vessel

South Africa’s Air Sea Rescue Crew (ASR) had no time to spare as they took to air last Saturday to rescue an Indonesian man on-board a foreign vessel, who was bleeding internally from unknown causes.

The ASR crew, joined by the South African Air Force and Netcare 911 took to air from the Durban 15 Squadron air force base and made their to the vessel after the maritime rescue coordination committee informed them to be at the ready for the rescue.

The crew were joined by Ballito National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) Quentin Power.

The vessel, still deep at sea off the East Coast of Africa, was making its way toward South Africa’s coastline slowly, some 45 nautical miles off-shore of Richards Bay.

After the rendezvous, medical teams assessed the man in his early 30s with aid from a Western Cape-government emergency medical services duty doctor, who was speaking via satellite phone.

The critically-ill man was evacuated to a hospital as a matter of urgency.

On-board the helicopter, Quentin Power said the man had crashed twice, and that they had to resuscitate him.

The crew landed at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban, where the man is understood to remain for the moment.

“From what I last heard he was making a good recovery,” said Power.

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