Stricken skipper flung into the sea in a wheelhouse was rescued by his crewmen
-Edited by Bev Mortimer – A local Gqeberha skipper yesterday suddenly found himself trapped in a wheelhouse that had been ripped off a ship, and that was sinking into the sea.
The incident happened yesterday, 8 nautical miles off Algoa Bay and the local skipper from Gqeberha suddenly found himself trapped in the wheel house, 8 nautical miles off-shore in Algoa Bay and he realised what had happened and his predicament.
A crewman onboard the casualty ship raised the alarm by phone to an NSRI Gqeberha coxswain, plus a cargo motor ship contacted Gqeberha Port control on VHF marine radio. Ian Gray, NSRI Gqeberha coxswain, said NSRI volunteer duty crew were activated at 8 am following a request for urgent assistance from a service ship.
Gray said NSRI Gqeberha duty crew and EC Government Health EMS responded to the NSRI Gqeberha rescue station where the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha and Spirit of Toft were launched, accompanied by EMS rescue paramedics. NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, Gqeberha Port control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services and NSRI EOC assisted MRCC in the coordination of a rescue operation. MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations was alerted, while Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF radio communications.
Gray recounted that it seems the incident happened while the coxswain was transferring supplies from the ship to the cargo motor vessel A crane lifting supplies onto the cargo motor ship caught on the wheel house of the service ship by a freak accident and ripping the wheel house off the ship. The skipper was in the wheel house which landed in the sea.
The two remaining crewmen onboard the ship had no means of communications or ability to steer or manoeuvre their ship. They saw their skipper pop up from under water but he was being blown away from them in the sea.
The skipper later recounted that himself in the wheel house that was submerging under water , he managed to open the cabin door under water to escape the sinking wheel house, but wearing safety boots and jeans, he was at risk of sinking himself through the weight of his own gear.
He managed to grab a hold of a lifebuoy that had earlier been attached to the wheel house, which was now sinking underwater. Then through quick thinking and commands communicated between the crewmen on the stricken ship and their skipper in the sea, the crewmen put to anchor and this action swung the vessel around in the direction of their skipper (by wind direction). The crewmen were then able to throw him a rope and he was pulled onboard.
When the NSRI and paramedics arrived at the ship it was found the local, 56 year-skipper was safely onboard the damaged ship and he was in good care of his two crewmen, who initiated medical treatment for hypothermia and for shock.
NSRI rescue swimmers and an EMS rescue paramedic were transferred onto the casualty ship , which although damaged, remained structurally sound and at no immediate risk. The EMS rescue paramedic and NSRI rescue swimmer continued with medical treatment to the skipper for hypothermia, shock and minor cuts and bruises.
A tow-line was rigged from NSRI’s Spirit of Toft and the NSRI crew towed the casualty ship into the Port of Gqeberha where she has been safely removed from the water. The skipper was brought safely ashore in the care of the EMS rescue paramedic, assisted by NSRI medics, and he required no further medical treatment.
NSRI commend the crew of the of the service ship for their quick action in rescuing their skipper’s life and remarked that thoughts were on the trio as they grappled with the enormity of what they and their families had endured.
