A Brazilian man died and five crew members were airlifted to hospital by the South African Air Force near Durban on Tuesday, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa).
Methanol poisoning is believed to have been the cause of the incident which took place onboard the Boka Vanguard which was en route from Qindao in China to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
According to the NSRI, the ship called for assistance seeking medical evacuation for the crew after they fell ill over the weekend.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that the SA Air Force, paramedics, the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), and an NSRI team were tasked by the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) to respond to the incident.
An on-duty doctor provided medical advice to the ship's medics while the vessel was diverted to Durban.
The five crew members were airlifted to a hospital in Durban where they are stable and recovering.
The heavy-lift vessel was transporting a Petrobras-owned floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO).
