Ill crewman lifted off factory trawler Arctic Fjord

This just in from the U.S. Coast Guard:

U.S. Coast Guard, 17th District

Sept. 17, 2009

Coast Guard medevacs man from Seattle-based vessel southwest of Sitka

KODIAK, Alaska — A Sitka-based Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and crew medevaced a 46-year-old male who was reportedly suffering from severe abdominal pain aboard the 254-foot Seattle-based catcher processor Arctic Fjord 135 miles southwest of Sitka at 6:18 a.m. Thursday.

Martin Reyes, a U.S. citizen, was reported to be suffering from possible appendicitis when Health Force Partners requested a medevac on his behalf from the Coast Guard Wednesday afternoon.

The ship was in Canadian waters 460 miles southwest of Sitka when the medevac was requested. The vessel's crew altered course back toward Sitka to come into range of the rescue helicopter. A Kodiak-based HC-130 Hercules aircraft and crew provided communications and assisted the helicopter.

The helicopter crew launched from Sitka at 4:30 a.m. and arrived on scene to pick up Reyes at 6:18 a.m.

Weather on scene was reportedly southeast winds at 23 mph with eight-foot seas and rain. The crew transported Reyes safely to Sitka where awaiting emergency medical services transported him to Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital at 7:15 a.m.

The Arctic Fjord crew resumed their voyage from Dutch Harbor to Seattle. This is the fourth medevac the Coast Guard has conducted in Alaska in less than one week.