Video: Tanker Crewman Medevaced off South Carolina

A burn victim was medevaced from a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker approximately 179 miles east of Charleston, S.C., on Sunday.

The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Charleston were notified on Saturday around 7:46 p.m. that a crew member aboard the Southern Shark obtained chemical burns during a tank cleaning. 

A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew was launched to medecac the ailing 45-year-old mariner, who was airlifted and transferred to Augusta Burn Center Hospital by 3:03 p.m. for higher-level medical care.

"Due to the nature of this seafarer's injury and the specialized care requirements, this air-sea rescue operation involved complex planning and seamless execution," said Cmdr. William R. Cahill, Coast Guard Air Station Savannah Operations Officer.

"The elite aircrew that successfully carried out this offshore medevac overcame challenging conditions conducting a very dynamic hoisting evolution in 10-foot seas and 35 miles per hour winds." Cmdr. Cahill said.