Salvamento Maritimo Rescues Injured Seafarer After Fall Into Cargo Hold

On Saturday, a crewmember suffered a serious fall aboard a boxship at the port of Algeciras, necessitating a high-angle rescue operation.

At about 0830 in the morning, Algeciras' maritime rescue coordination center received a request for emergency assistance from the container ship Leto. A crewmember had fallen about 16 feet into the hold.

A helicopter medevac was ruled out because cargo above the hold made the operation too difficult. Instead, Salvamento Maritimo dispatched the SAR boat Salvamar Denebola. The boat crew used a crane to hoist the victim out of the hold and transfer him aboard the boat for safe transfer ashore.

Within two hours of the accident, the victim was on shore and was transferred to local emergency services for further care. He was delivered in serious condition, but conscious.

Because of Salvamar Denebola's home port at Algeciras, adjacent to one of the world's busiest maritime choke points, the boat regularly responds to serious casualties. The Denebola was on hand for the collision of the OS 35 and the Adam LNG; the collision of the HMM St. Petersburg and the Gloria Maris; and the collision of the tanker Southern Puma and the bulk carrier Louisa Bolten.