Balikpapan Basarnas Quick Action Saves Sick Filipino Crew In The Middle Of The Sea

JAKARTA - The Balikpapan Basarnas Search and Rescue Office (KPP) team evacuated the crew of the MV Golden Gayle on behalf of Velasco Cesar Lamano, 55, who experienced health problems when his ship crossed the Makassar Strait.

"The person concerned experienced shortness of breath, Sunday, May 29, so the situation is worrying. The captain of the ship immediately contacted Basarnas asking for medical evacuation assistance," said Head of Balikpapan Basarnas Melkianus Kotta in Balikpapan, Monday, May 30, quoted from Antara.

The request was then forwarded to the Balikpapan Basarnas as the closest to the ship's position, which departed from Port Headland, Australia to Kwangyang, South Korea.

Immediately the evacuation team departed using the State Ship (KN) P-349 to coordinates 1 degree 26 minutes 54 seconds south latitude and 117 degrees 11 minutes 24 seconds, approximately 34 miles east of Balikpapan.

With calm sea conditions, before sunset, the KN P-349 managed to dock to the MV Golden Gayle. The medical team immediately prepared Velasco to be evacuated, transferred to the Basarnas ship.

On a stretcher, Velasco was carried and raised to KN P-349 which then immediately turned back to Balikpapan to take the crew to the hospital.

"At 19.10 WIB KN-P349 has returned to Balikpapan. The victim was immediately taken down and the ambulance is waiting for him to receive further treatment," said Melkianus Kotta.

Velasco was referred to Siloam Hospital on Jalan MT Harjono. Until now, his condition is reported to be quite stable after being treated by doctors.

The Balikpapan Basarnas has carried out evacuating victims at sea several times. In 2018, the Balikpapan Basarnas picked up the victim KM Titian Muhibah who sank in the Makassar Strait, on a crossing from Bontang to Mamuju. The victims were previously rescued by the USS Rushmore, a US warship passing through the Makassar Strait. As many as 65 victims were picked up by the Balikpapan Basarnas from the ship and taken to Balikpapan.