An injured crewmember was evacuated from the 50,790 dwt containership Thuringia on March 29 while the ship was sailing off the coast of South Africa, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) informed.
The 42-year-old Chinese sailor was reportedly struck by sheet metal which shifted and fell onto the crewman. He was reported to be trapped and unconscious with breathing difficulties, therefore the duty doctor requested assistance from NSRI and rescue paramedics.
At the time of the incident, the containership was some 60 nautical off the coast of Port Elizabeth. It was diverted towards Port Elizabeth’s port and rendezvoused with the sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV some 11 nautical miles from the port.
The patient has been transported to a hospital in a serious but stable condition, according to NSRI.
The 2003-built boxship continued its journey towards Hong Kong, where it is scheduled to arrive on April 21, AIS data from MarineTraffic shows.