Australia: Navy saves HMAS Sydney personnel

Off the coast of Western Australia, several hundreds of nautical miles away, members of the crew of the HMAS Sydney assisted in the medical evacuation of a civilian mariner aboard an oil tanker.

The Rescue Coordination Centre Australia, which is part of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, was the organization that initially solicited aid from the Navy Maritime Operations.

Due to Sydney’s sophisticated onboard medical capabilities, speed, and range, Maritime Operations swiftly re-tasked the ship while participating in training exercises at sea and instructed the ship to provide help.

The crew of the Sydney moved quickly, travelling around 850 nautical miles (1600 kilometres) deep into the Southern Indian Ocean to reach the injured mariner as soon as possible. The mariner had suffered a severe injury while labouring to repair a mechanical flaw on board the oil tanker MV Energy River.

Due to technical difficulties, the tanker could not promptly deliver him to a medical institution.

Even travelling at top speed, Sydney took almost two days to reach this isolated part of the planet. Once it did, a specialized team was placed into the vessel to evaluate, treat, and transport the patient.

Commander Grant Coleman, the Commanding Officer of Sydney, stated that the crew maintained their ability to adapt and be resilient throughout the operation.

“The men and women on board the Sydney were required to shift quite quickly from conducting warfare exercises at sea to assisting an injured and distressed mariner,” he added. “It was a very stressful situation for everyone on board.”

“The medical evacuation team showed high professionalism throughout moving the injured mariner from the oil tanker to the ship securely and safely.

I am so pleased with how team Sydney carried themselves during the process.

Even though conditions were favourable, Sydney’s medical and seamanship teams demonstrated their expertise and professionalism by successfully evacuating an immobile patient from a merchant ship in the middle of the open ocean while the patient was on a stretcher.

Medical officer Lieutenant Jarrad Blackburn served as the leader of the medical evacuation team, which was responsible for providing the injured mariner with the necessary medical aid.

Lieutenant Blackburn said, “The challenge of conducting medical treatment in the maritime environment, in an unknown vessel, before transferring to our ship is what I joined the Navy to do.”

Jarryd Parsons, a Leading Seaman, volunteered to take on the crucial position of coxswain of the rigid-hulled inflatable boat and was responsible for assuring the safe transportation of the medical evacuation team and the injured mariner.

He claimed that being able to help a fellow sailor was an enriching experience for him. “It was a rewarding experience to be able to help a fellow mariner,”

Predicting what obstacles you’ll face in the Navy is impossible, but serving there almost always creates an exciting experience to share with others.

The crew of the Sydney ship sends their best wishes to the mariner for a speedy recovery and expresses their hope that he will be able to get back to work on the boat shortly.