Air Station Crew Hoists Young Man with Chest Pain

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrew deployed to Forward Operating Location Cold Bay medevac’d a 31-year-old man from a fishing vessel 57 miles west-northwest of Cold Bay Sunday morning.

Watchstanders at the 17th District Command Center received information that a crew member aboard the fishing vessel Seabrooke experienced chest pains and numbness in his left arm. The duty flight surgeon recommended a medevac to a higher level of medical care within two to four hours and have the patient administered aspirin and nitroglycerin.

The Jayhawk crew hoisted the crewman from the Seabrooke and transported him to the Cold Bay medical clinic. Due to weather, the crewman remained at the clinic until an HC-130 aircrew from Air Station Kodiak could take him to Kodiak for further medical care. Life Med then transported the patient to Anchorage.

Because the forward operating location in Cold Bay was only 50 miles from the boat’s location, Lt. Sean Glavan, duty officer at Air Station Kodiak, said an aircrew was able to get on scene within 30 minutes of takeoff to get the crewman immediate medical attention.

Weather at the time of the medevac inculded driving rain, with 55-knot winds and 10 to 15-foot seas.