Durban ship’s pilot fell off a crude oil tanker while disembarking at the Durban port on Tuesday, reports TimesLive.
What happened?
A Transnet National Ports Authority ship’s pilot fell off a crude oil tanker after a rope ladder snapped at the Durban port.
Rescue team
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Durban station commander Jonathan Kellerman said that a rescue team was dispatched at 7.45am after the 35-year-old man fell off the vessel while disembarking before it departed the port.
Kellerman said the cause of the rope severing was “undetermined”.
Pilot vessel changed course
He said, in an effort to avoid injury to the man, the pilot vessel Lufafa veered away from the ship when the incident occurred. This allowed the man space to push away from the ship and swim free from the ship’s draft in an effort to avoid being sucked into the ship’s propellers.
Crew taken to paramedics
Lufafa’s crew rescued the man and took him to T Jetty. There he was treated by paramedics for mild hypothermia and as a precaution was transported to hospital by ambulance in a stable condition for further medical evaluation.
“He is expected to fully recover,” said Kellerman.
Investigation triggered
According to Kellerman, the factors that contributed to his survival were:
- The immediate reaction of the skipper and crew of the pilot vessel Lufafa and
- the calm and deliberate actions taken by the casualty after he fell into the water.
Kellerman said the incident would be investigated by authorities.
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Source: Times Live
