Injured Mariner Medevaced from Tanker off Alaska

An injured mariner was medevaced from a vessel 220 miles south of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 17th District command center, in Juneau, received the initial request for the medevac on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. from the crew of the Liberia-registered FPMC 33 after a crewmember on board had reportedly broken his legs.

The watchstanders requested the tanker meet a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrew, forward-deployed to Cold Bay, at a rendezvous point approximately 220 miles south of Dutch Harbor to safely embark the patient.  

The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew hoisted the 44-year-old man from the 550-foot tanker and safely transported him back to Cold Bay for a wing-to-wing transfer with LifeMed Alaska personnel who then transported him to a higher level of medical care. The ailing mariner was reportedly in stable condition during the time of the rescue.

Conditions at the time of the rescue included 15-20 mph winds with gusts up to 30 mph, 10-foot seas, an air temperature of 33 degrees and a water temperature of 43 degrees.

“Crewmembers aboard the FPMC 33 were able to stabilize the man as the ship transited to the rendezvous point," said Master Chief Petty Officer Christopher Cole, Coast Guard 17th District command duty officer. “Through the coordination of Sector Anchorage watchstanders, Air Station Kodiak personnel, the FPMC 33 crew, and the LifeMed Alaska aircrew, we were able to quickly transport the man to a higher level of care.”