Discover the Kapsali: Ratings & Maritime News

On November 4, 2020, a daring medical evacuation operation took place in the North Atlantic when the SAR helicopter Pesca 2 was dispatched by Salvamento Marítimo. This mission involved the urgent extraction of a crew member from the vessel 'Kapsali', located approximately 120 miles northwest of Celeiro. Following the successful medevac, the patient was transported to the Celeiro base and subsequently taken by ambulance to Quirón Hospital in A Coruña for further medical attention.

On the night of August 19, 2012, the Bembridge RNLI lifeboat crew sprang into action to assist the captain of the oil tanker "Kapsali," who had suffered a suspected broken ankle while on deck. The vessel was en route in ballast from Rotterdam to Gibraltar, approximately 35 miles south of the Isle of Wight, when the incident occurred. Faced with heavy fog that restricted air operations, Solent Coastguard coordinated the situation and determined that the captain needed immediate medical attention. The crew of the "Kapsali" was instructed to navigate to the Nab anchorage off Sandown on the Isle of Wight to meet the lifeboat. By 1 a.m., the tanker had anchored, and the Bembridge RNLI's Tamar class lifeboat was launched at 1:20 a.m. to conduct the captain's evacuation. Arriving on the scene at 1:36 a.m., the lifeboat crew worked swiftly with the tanker team, who were preparing a boarding ladder on the port side to facilitate the transfer of a volunteer crew member for the operation. After assessing the captain's condition inside the cabin, the RNLI crew member determined that a stretcher would be necessary for safe evacuation. Due to the height of the deck, the only feasible option was to use the tanker’s crane. After the crew readied the crane, the hook was lowered onto the lifeboat deck to secure the stretcher, which was then hoisted up to the captain. The captain was carefully placed on the stretcher, secured, and transferred onto the lifeboat as it was positioned alongside the tanker. Despite the challenging poor visibility, the lifeboat navigated to Portsmouth Harbour with utmost urgency. Upon arrival at Portsmouth Harbour, the lifeboat docked at the Camber Docks where local coastguards and ambulance personnel were on standby to provide medical assistance to the captain. This heroic rescue underscores the remarkable efforts of the RNLI in ensuring safety at sea under challenging conditions. For more details, you can view the official report here: http://rnli.org/NewsCentre/Pages/Bembridge-RNLI-crew-in-late-night-rescue-of-injured-captain-of-oil-tanker1.aspx