Portsmouth Naval Hospital News

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) medevaced a man Wednesday from a Navy vessel off the Virginia coast after watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads in Portsmouth received a request for the medevac from the USS Barry who reported a 36-year-old crewmember was experiencing chest pains at approximately 3 a.m. A Coast Guard video of the medevac is available here. A USCG MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew was launched from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and arrived on scene approximately 40 miles east of Virginia Beach at about 5:10 a.m.

Master Chief Petty Officer (Ret) Carl Brashear passed away on July 25 at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital at 2:35 pm. He was made famous when the movie "Men of Honor" portrayed his Navy career. Brashear was played by Cuba Good Jr. Brashear died from respiratory and heart failure at the age of 75. He joined the navy at 17-years-old and was the first African American deep sea diver for the Navy, the first African American Master Diver and the first person in Naval history to be restored to active duty as an amputee. He was at the hospital for less than a week. Family was at his side when he passed, including his son, Phillip Brashear, an Army helicopter pilot who is on emergency leave from Iraq. Brashear was born on January 19, 1931 in Tonieville, Larue County, Kentucky.