PORT ELIZABETH - CREWMAN RESCUED OFF BULK CARRIER AND 3 FISHING BOATS RUN AGROUND

Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said:

At 23h30, Saturday, 09th February, NSRI Station 6 Port Elizabeth launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft to patient evacuate a male crewman off a 299m bulk carrier suffering an abscess on the hip.

We rendezvoused with the ship 5 nautical miles from the Port of Port Elizabeth.

2 NSRI rescue swimmers were put aboard the ship and the patient and our crewmen were transferred onto our sea rescue craft and the patient was brought to shore and he has been taken to hospital by their ships agent.

Just after 01h00 while recovering our sea rescue craft one of our crew noted a 10 meter fishing boat appearing to have run aground in the harbour.
On further investigation it was found to be 3 fishing boats run aground. All of the boats were not manned.

The sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft and JLK Rescuer launched and the owners of the fishing boats were contacted.

NSRI rescue swimmers checked for damage before the boats were towed back to their moorings at their Quay about 300 meters away.

Another 5 fishing boats were found to be partially loose from their moorings from unknown causes.

Due to a combination of light winds and the quick NSRI response no serious damage to the fishing boats was caused after they gently drifted away from their moorings and only lightly grounded on the beach South of the Port Elizabeth Angling Club and avoiding colliding with any other craft and no pollution spills were caused.

The owners are investigating the circumstances.

via - NSRI