Once a cook died on-board one of my ship. He suffered an internal brain injury due to incessant rolling and pitching in heavy swells of Indian Ocean. We tried all onboard first aid measures. We diverted the ship heading to Capetown towards east London on east coast of South Africa.
South African coast guard denied helicopter evacuation and asked us to proceed towards East London. They sent a fast boat to evacuate the casualty. Unfortunately we lost the cook 1 hour before the rescue team arrived.
The team arrived and took the body away with minimal formalities. Constant communication was going on with coast guard and port control. The remaining crew was disheartened, broken. We resumed our journey towards Capetown.
Next morning we received a mail from Coastguard and SA communicable disease department that the ship stands quarantined for next 48 hours at outer waters in Capetown. The ship is restricted to make any movement beyond Capetown without approval, as the deceased person is supposed to have some infectious bacteria in his body.
All crew was directed by coastguard to take a medication for next two days and every body’s body temperature was to be logged down every 6 hrs.
The same crew who were crying and were sad for the Cook’s demise were unsettled. Some of them started cursing the lost soul. Some of them started panicking during every temp check. A chaos was building, a fear was gripping. Jokes filled with fear were getting rampant. We were awaiting some culture report of the bacteria during those 48 hrs. Weather was still furious and navigating the ship at slow steam while preventing roll and pitch was impossible.
2 days passed in this confusion and weird anticipation. People discussed their hopes, their plans, their todo lists as if things were going to end. Some were busy researching on the effects of the bacteria and possible damage to individual.
Finally a mail came from SA coastguard and NCD, your ship’s quarantine is clear and you can proceed to Capetown.
It was a relief, the same people became thankful and sober for next few days to come. Their temporal realisation had grown manifold, their needs and tantrums subsided.
South African coast guard denied helicopter evacuation and asked us to proceed towards East London. They sent a fast boat to evacuate the casualty. Unfortunately we lost the cook 1 hour before the rescue team arrived.
The team arrived and took the body away with minimal formalities. Constant communication was going on with coast guard and port control. The remaining crew was disheartened, broken. We resumed our journey towards Capetown.
Next morning we received a mail from Coastguard and SA communicable disease department that the ship stands quarantined for next 48 hours at outer waters in Capetown. The ship is restricted to make any movement beyond Capetown without approval, as the deceased person is supposed to have some infectious bacteria in his body.
All crew was directed by coastguard to take a medication for next two days and every body’s body temperature was to be logged down every 6 hrs.
The same crew who were crying and were sad for the Cook’s demise were unsettled. Some of them started cursing the lost soul. Some of them started panicking during every temp check. A chaos was building, a fear was gripping. Jokes filled with fear were getting rampant. We were awaiting some culture report of the bacteria during those 48 hrs. Weather was still furious and navigating the ship at slow steam while preventing roll and pitch was impossible.
2 days passed in this confusion and weird anticipation. People discussed their hopes, their plans, their todo lists as if things were going to end. Some were busy researching on the effects of the bacteria and possible damage to individual.
Finally a mail came from SA coastguard and NCD, your ship’s quarantine is clear and you can proceed to Capetown.
It was a relief, the same people became thankful and sober for next few days to come. Their temporal realisation had grown manifold, their needs and tantrums subsided.
