Marine Rescue Trial Bay crew compete night medical evacuation following PAN PAN call

A volunteer crew from Marine Rescue Trial Bay successfully extracted an ill man from a fishing trawler in challenging conditions at Trial Bay on the New South Wales Mid North Coast overnight.

Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Rodney Page said a PAN PAN call was received by radio operators at the Marine Rescue NSW State Communications Centre just before 6pm last night (Thursday 26 September).

“The skipper of the trawler radioed for immediate assistance after a 25-year-old crew member on board the trawler fell ill.

“Marine Rescue NSW vessel Trial Bay 30 was deployed and within 20 minutes reached the trawler.

“The transfer took place in the bay near Laggers Point with the trawler moving into the bay for protection from strong winds which were gusting up to 55km/h.

“The winds and bumpy sea along with darkness made the extraction challenging with Trial Bay 30 pulling up alongside the trawler’s stern before tying off to transfer the patient on to the rescue vessel.

“The man was monitored by the volunteer crew on the journey to the Marine Rescue Trial Bay air berth on the Macleay River.

“Our volunteers then assisted the man onto land where he was assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics,” Inspector Page said.

Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.