Monday, February 14, 2011

Coast Guard hoists ailing man off Golden Alaska

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

Feb. 14, 2011

Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel north of Cold Bay

KODIAK — A Kodiak-based HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, forward-deployed to the Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau, today conducted a medevac of a 40-year-old male from the 280-foot processing vessel Golden Alaska 46 miles north of Cold Bay.

Nery Arriaza, hometown unknown, was reportedly suffering from severe chest pains when the captain of the Golden Alaska contacted the Coast Guard via satellite phone at 9:12 a.m. requesting a medevac.

The Dolphin crew launched from the cutter at 11:57 a.m. and safely hoisted Arriaza at 12:17 p.m.

"Since the start of February, Air Station Kodiak crews have saved 18 lives in some of the harshest weather conditions you can imagine for flight," said Lt. j.g. Edward Michno, a Coast Guard search and rescue controller.

The helicopter crew arrived in Cold Bay at 1:30 p.m. and transferred Arriaza to an emergency medical flight to Anchorage for further care.

The weather at the time of the medevac was reported as 23 to 29 mph winds with 6-foot seas. The 378-foot cutter Morgenthau is homeported in Alameda, Calif.

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