SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – The Coast Guard medevaced a 56-year-old fishing vessel captain Tuesday after he suffered a hand injury while hauling line more than 100 miles off Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The rescue happened about 122 miles west of Longboat Key, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard medevaced a 56-year-old fishing vessel captain Tuesday after he suffered a hand injury while hauling line more than 100 miles off Florida’s Gulf Coast.(US Coast Guard)
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector St. Petersburg received a medevac request and determined the man needed a higher level of care. An Air Station Clearwater MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew was launched to conduct the medical evacuation.
Divers found clinging to crab trap buoy in the Gulf after their boat drifts away
Once the aircrew arrived, a rescue swimmer was lowered to assess the man’s condition. The crew then used a rescue basket to hoist him into the helicopter.
The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital. His condition was not released.
“Executing a medevac more than 100 miles out in the Gulf requires precise execution,” Chief Petty Officer Sean Deaton, a command duty officer assigned to Sector St. Petersburg, said in a statement. “The quick and decisive actions by both our command center and air station personnel led to this successful rescue, demonstrating the proficiency and readiness of our crews to respond whenever and wherever they are needed.”
The Coast Guard did not release the man’s name or the name of the fishing vessel.
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