Two injured seafarers were taken off a bulk carrier near Richards Bay, South Africa, on Monday 19 October 2026. The sea was rough, and the swell grew to 7 metres during the operation. Both men were in a stable condition.
The rescue was done by the NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute), South Africa's volunteer sea rescue service. It published the details on 21 October.
What happened
Three crew members had been injured on board a 292-metre bulk carrier. The ship was at anchor off Richards Bay. NSRI has not said how they were injured, and it has not named the ship.
The NSRI duty crew in Richards Bay got the first alert at 14:29 local time. The ship was due to come into port later that day. The injured men could have been treated after the ship arrived. But bad weather was forecast, so the rescuers decided to go out to the ship.
At 15:54 the NSRI crew launched the rescue boat Ocean Guardian. A team trained to move injured people from difficult places went with them. An ambulance waited at the NSRI base.
A transfer by pilot ladder
The rescue boat met the ship 8 nautical miles offshore. The swell was 3 to 4 metres. The NSRI asked the master to lift the anchor and turn the ship. This made a lee, an area of calmer water on one side of the ship. The rescue boat could then come alongside.
Rescuers went on board. Two of the three injured men could walk, and they were prepared for the transfer. They wore protective gear and were tied to safety lines. They climbed down the pilot ladder to the rescue boat, and the rescuers followed.
The third injured man was also stable. He stayed on board, because the ship was coming into port later the same day.
The two men, aged 53 and 34, are from China. They were taken to the NSRI base and then to hospital by ambulance. NSRI thanked the master and crew for their help.
Many groups helped the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), which runs sea rescues. They included the port control of Richards Bay, port health, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, the police and the ship's agent.
What crews can learn from this
This rescue went well because the ship's crew and the rescuers worked together. These simple points help any crew:
Call for medical help early, before the weather gets worse. Give the number of injured, their condition and your position.
If the master is asked to make a lee, be ready to lift the anchor and turn the ship quickly.
Keep the pilot ladder in good condition and rigged correctly. Injured people and rescuers may have to use it.
Give the injured person a lifejacket or other protective gear and a safety line before they go down the ladder.
Prepare a short written note on each patient: what happened, their condition and any first aid or medicine given.
Cover photo: The bulk carrier Cape Keystone (IMO 9463334) at Richards Bay, March 2013. This is an illustrative photo, not the ship in this story. Photo: Ossewa/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
