On 10 June 2026, the GMSRS Emergency Operations Centre was notified of a crew member requiring urgent medical evacuation from a bulk carrier operating approximately 150 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Town.
Following the initial notification, GMSRS coordinated with the vessel’s insurance, shipping agents, MRCC, Port Health, Western Cape Department of Health EMS and the vessel’s Master while the ship proceeded towards the South African coastline.
With the vessel still well offshore, Medevac 04 and the Cape Town Helicopters Offshore team were placed on standby to ensure a rapid response once the vessel entered helicopter operating range.
After final operational clearances were received, the flight crew and medical rescue team launched from Cape Town and proceeded to a rendezvous point approximately 85 nautical miles offshore.
On arrival, sea conditions made a deck landing unsafe. Following an on-scene assessment, the crew elected to conduct a helicopter hoist operation. Medical rescue personnel were inserted onto the vessel, where the patient was assessed, treated and prepared for extraction.
The patient was packaged in specialised patient securing equipment and safely hoisted into the aircraft before being transported to Cape Town under the care of the Advanced Life Support medical team.
Following arrival ashore, the patient was transferred directly to a specialist medical facility for ongoing treatment and further assessment.
Offshore medical evacuations often require rapid decision-making, close coordination between multiple agencies and the ability to adapt to changing conditions. In this case, the flexibility of a helicopter hoist operation ensured the patient could be safely extracted despite the challenging sea state.
GMSRS and Cape Town Helicopters Offshore extend their thanks to the vessel’s Master and crew, insurance, shipping agents, MRCC, Port Health, Western Cape Department of Health EMS and all supporting stakeholders whose cooperation contributed to the successful outcome of the mission.
Medevac Africa remains available 24/7 to support maritime medical evacuations and search and rescue operations throughout Southern Africa.
Contact Information
For emergency medical rescue or search and rescue activations, contact the GMSRS 24/7 Emergency Operations Centre (EOC): +27 87 22 33 180
For general media enquiries, contact our office during office hours on +27 87 073 6700 or email media@gmsrs.com
