Tristan : SOUTH AFRICAN NAVY RESCUE INJURED CREWMEN FROM TRISTAN
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 07.05.2011 (Article Archived on 28.05.2011)
Thanks to the sterling efforts of the South African Navy, injured crewmen off the Chinese fishing vessel, Lai Ching, have been transported to Cape Town for further medical treatment and repatriation. The SAS Isandlwana, which left Simonstown at 2100 on Tuesday night arrived off Tristan at first light on Saturday 7 May.
Photos (c) Tristan Government
SOUTH AFRICAN NAVY RESCUE INJURED CREWMEN FROM TRISTAN
By Sarah Glass (Tristan Times)
The one injured crewman who couldn't walk to the helicopter was stretchered
Thanks to the sterling efforts of the South African Navy, injured crewmen off the Chinese fishing vessel, Lai Ching, have been transported to Cape Town for further medical treatment and repatriation. The SAS Isandlwana, which left Simonstown at 2100 on Tuesday night arrived off Tristan at first light on Saturday 7 May.
Her helicopter and medical team were ashore by 0800. They were met by Inspector Conrad Glass and Andy Repetto and the Administrator. Andy Repetto had been in touch with The SAS Isandlwana since 0400 on Saturday to monitor progress.
The medical team went straight to the hospital where they were met by Dr Sridar and his medical staff; and then carried out their assessments and praised the work that Dr Sridar and the staff of Camogli Hospital had done. There was no question that in some cases lives had been saved and the decision to divert to Tristan had been the right one.
Fishermen off the Taiwanese fishing boat, Lai Ching, were injured when a gas explosion at about noon on Friday, 29 April happened while fishing in the southwest Atlantic, resulting in three dead, four missing and 18 injured, according to a Central News Agency (CNA) report.
Hsiang Man Ching, the fishing vessel that rescued crew members off the Lai Ching arrived at Tristan after dark on the night of the 2nd May and landed 11, ashore 5 of which are in hospital receiving treatment; and then carried the remainder of the crew headed for Cape Town.
All but one of the injured crew treated at Camogli Hospital were able to board the SAS Isandlwana’s helicopter on foot and only one patient required a stretcher. They were all aboard the South African Naval Vessel by 1000 and she was on her way back to Cape Town by 1030. Is this three hour hour turn around another record?
“I was very impressed with the way the operation had been managed and executed since last Sunday,” said the Administrator. He went on to say that the speed in which the South African Navy had mobilised and reached Tristan was a real feat. The helicopter crew and medical team had deployed rapidly and effectively and the patients were quickly on their way back to Cape Town. Tristan’s Government had also worked closely with the Taiwanese authorities in London and Cape Town, as well as with the FCO and MRCC in Cape Town and the cooperation of all had been excellent. “Job well done,” he concluded!
Over the week islanders had also been involved by helping with food and accommodation and also donating clothes and other things to make the crew feel comfortable. They had arrived on Tristan with nothing. They also had an opportunity to call family in their home countries (Indonesia, ROC, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines). “We hope the crew recover quickly and are soon reunited with their families, said the Administrator.
 
Dr Sridar from Camogli Hospital on Tristan with his colleague, Dr Mboya from South Africa
The second photo shows "Atlantic Dawn" - after dark on the day crewmen were taken off the rescue ship.
|
