Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said:
At 13h14, Friday, NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew were activated following reports from Noordhoek Control of a rubber-duck with 2 local male spear fishermen onboard with the boat suffering motor power loss 1.8 nautical miles South of Cape Recife.
The sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft was launched and on arrival in the area following a brief search the 2 men were located on their rubber-duck safe and drifting further out to sea.
A towline was rigged and we towed them to the Port of Port Elizabeth without incident and once their boat was recovered no further assistance was required.
At 13h49 we received a call from BLS medical reporting a fisherman suffering a suspected heart attack on the fishing trawler Umlobi, heading towards Port Elizabeth from 13 nautical miles South of Cape Recife.
BLS Medical and the fishing trawler Umlobi were instructed to alert MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) while NSRI prepared to launch.
Following an Government Health EMS duty doctors evaluation of the patient by communications arranged by MRCC the NSRI sea rescue craft Spirit of Toft, having completed the rubber-duck operation, took a EC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic onboard and rendezvoused with the trawler off-shore South of Cape Recife.
The EMS rescue paramedic and NSRI crew were put aboard where medical treatment was initiated to a 50 year old fisherman suffering chest pains and he was taken onboard the sea rescue craft and brought to Port where in a stable condition he has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance.
Alan Straton
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