R E A L-L I F E R E S C U E
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N TUESDAY MORNING, 7 January 2020, at around 9.30am, the duty coxswain of Station 5 (Durban) received a call from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). A large ship on its way to Brazil was requesting the evacuation of five crew members following an incident on board. At the time of the call, the vessel was more than 150 nautical miles from Durban, far beyond Sea Rescue’s range of operations. It was therefore decided that the ship would divert towards Durban in order to rendezvous with rescue personnel closer to shore. Station commander Jonathan Kellerman realised he’d have to concentrate all his energies on coordinating the resources necessary for this rescue.
It was estimated that the ship would not be in range for another three to four hours at least, but still there was a great deal to organise. After placing Durban Sea Rescue duty crew on standby, the first call was to the MRCC to request that they authorise the South African Air Force (SAAF) 15 Squadron to fly an Oryx helicopter. Because the full nature of the patients’ medical state was not yet known, except that three of them were in a serious condition, a helicopter extraction was the first choice.
It would ensure they could get to a hospital much faster and have access to advanced medical care sooner. Due to the long range of the rescue flight, it would be necessary for the rescue helicopter to be accompanied by a second helicopter to assist in the event of a serious mechanical failure, and because only one Oryx was available at SAAF 15 Squadron, the second helicopter would need to be sourced from elsewhere. To facilitate this, a SAAF Charlie Flight BK-117
MEDEVAC
at sea PHOTOGRAPHS: NSRI STATION 5 (DURBAN)
After being alerted by the MRCC to a medical emergency involving six crewman on a large vessel bound for Brazil, Station 5 (Durban) and an SAAF Oryx helicopter with medical personnel on board were dispatched to carry out a medical evacuation. By Cherelle Leong
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SEA RESCUE AUTUMN 2020
