Seafarer on a Cargo Ship was Medevaced by the U.S. Coast Guard

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 Coast Guard Medevacs Man 110 Miles East of Virginia Beach

The Coast Guard medevaced a man on Saturday from a motor vessel about 110 miles east of Virginia Beach.

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Watchstanders at the Coast Guard’s 5th District Command Center in Portsmouth received notification at about 7:45 p.m. on Friday that a 68-year-old Croatian crewman needed medical assistance.  The sick crewman was aboard the 590-foot Marshall Islands-flagged motor vessel, Atlantic Tramp.  He became unconscious and was experiencing symptoms including forgetfulness, loss of balance, slurred speech, and drooping of the right side of his face, at approximately 230 miles east of Virginia Beach.

Considering the long gap between the start of the symptoms and initiation of medevac and, the hazards associated with conducting a long-range medevac in the dark, the Coast Guard made plans to hoist the man at dawn.  The Atlantic Tramp crew headed towards the shore and continued to monitor the man’s condition.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, at about 6:45 a.m.

The aircrew arrived on scene at about 110 miles east of Virginia Beach at approximately 7:45 a.m.  The man was hoisted, and transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk at about 8:20 a.m. in stable condition.

“Our training and teamwork allowed us to safely complete the mission and we were glad to be able to help,” said Lt. Seth Craven, co-pilot for the case.

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Source: USCG News

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