Crewman with eye injury airlifted off longliner

I believe the vessel named in this press release, the Clipper Surprise, is a Seattle-based cod freezer longliner.

U.S. Coast Guard, 17th District

Nov. 3, 2009

Coast Guard medevacs Bering Sea fisherman

ANCHORAGE — A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew forward deployed in Cold Bay on Monday medevaced a 30-year-old crewman with a reported eye injury from the 124-foot fishing vessel Clipper Surprise more than 50 miles north of Dutch Harbor.

Holden Jonan-Serrano, an El Salvadorian citizen, reportedly sustained the injury to his right eye when he collided with a pipe while working aboard the vessel.

The crew of the fishing vessel contacted their health force provider, which in turn contacted the Coast Guard 17th District Command Center for medevac assistance.

The Cold Bay helicopter crew was already airborne when they received the call for assistance and diverted from their patrol. Arriving on scene at 5:55 p.m., they safely hoisted Jonan-Serrano into the helicopter for medevac to Cold Bay.

Jonan-Serrano arrived in Cold Bay at 7:47 p.m. where he was transferred in stable condition to a Guardian Life Flight jet for further transport to Anchorage.

The Coast Guard stations an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew in Cold Bay as a precautionary measure during the busy fall Bering Sea fishing season.