JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak personnel medevaced an ailing crew member from a fishing vessel more than 200 miles south of Cordova Tuesday evening.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew forward-deployed to Cordova and a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Kodiak took off after the crew of 130-foot fishing vessel Retriever called 17th Coast Guard District watchstanders reporting that a crew member was experiencing symptoms of internal bleeding.
The Jayhawk crew arrived on scene at 9:20 p.m. and safely hoisted the ailing crew member before returning to Cordova and transferring the patient to emergency medical personnel at 11:20 p.m. for a commercial medevac to Anchorage.
"An effective communications system on the fishing vessel Retriever allowed them to contact the Coast Guard as soon as their crew member's condition worsened," said Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Luna, a watchstander at the 17th District command center. "Having an air crew forward-deployed to Cordova allows us to respond to Gulf of Alaska cases like this quickly and efficiently."
The patient was conscious and able to walk from the Jayhawk to emergency medical services upon arrival in Cordova.
For more information contact Petty Officer 3rd Class Grant DeVuyst at 907-321-1866.
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