Navy brings ashore sick seaman on foreign merchant vessel

Sri Lanka Navy rendered assistance to safely bring ashore an ill seaman to the port of Colombo yesterday (11). 

The person had reportedly fallen ill with abdominal pain while onboard Maersk Avon container ship.

Maersk Avon is a merchant vessel owned by an Indian company. 

After the seaman onboard falling ill with abdominal pain while at sea, the Feeder Agencies Lanka (Private) Limited, the local agent of the ship made a request from the International Shipping and Harbor Facility Security Office (ISPS) to get him disembarked in Sri Lanka for treatment.

Accordingly, a 38-year-old Indian national named Mandekar Namit Siddappa was brought to the Colombo Harbor, said Sri Lanka Navy.

The Navy’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Unit approached the vessel which was about 05 nautical miles off the Colombo harbor and brought the ill person ashore by following necessary guidelines declared by health experts. 

Subsequently, the patient was disinfected on the harbor premises itself before rushing the patient to Colombo National Hospital by ‘Suwasariya’ ambulance service. 

Sri Lanka Ports Authority and ‘Suwasariya’ ambulance service also extended their support to the Navy to execute this task.