CG medevac; 2 boaters rescued

MEDEVACS CRUISE PASSENGER,

HELO ENCOUNTERS TURBULANCE

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard medevac'd a 76-year-old man from a cruise ship Saturday about 300 miles offshore from Fort Morgan, Ala. CG Sector Mobile, Ala., received a call at 4:30 a.m. from the crew of the Carnival Dream cruise ship requesting a medevac for a passenger experiencing heart attack-like symptoms. The CG launched a Mobile-based HC-144 Ocean Sentry and New Orleans-based MH-60 Jayhawk aircrews. The Jayhawk aircrew disembarked a rescue swimmer. While hoisting a cruise ship nurse, a severe squall caused the aircrew to back away from the ship. The helo then encountered a severe downwind, prompting the aircrew to recover the aircraft close to the water's surface. Both aircraft aborted the mission and returned to base due to weather. 

A second New Orleans-based Jayhawk helicopter aircrew later returned to the scene, hoisting the patient and rescue swimmer, and transferred the patient to awaiting EMS personnel at University Medical Center New Orleans.

"Through exceptional real-time risk management, crew resource management, and superb piloting (of the initial helo) the aircrew was able to safely recover the aircraft and land at the air station without further incident," said Cmdr. Keith Blair, commanding officer of GC Air Station New Orleans. (Coast Guard vieo 04/29/23) DVIDS - Video - Coast Guard medevacs cruise ship passenger offshore Fort Morgan, Ala. (dvidshub.net)

CG RESCUES STRANDED BOATERS

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard rescued two stranded boaters April 29 from their aground vessel near Whiskey Island, La. The CG got a report about 7 p.m. from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office of an aground 18-foot aluminum vessel with two people aboard. The CG launched a New Orleans-based MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew that located the duo and hoisted them onboard. They were transported to the Houma-Terrebonne Airport. They were last reported to be in stable condition. (Coast Guard video 04/29/23) DVIDS - Video - Coast Guard rescues 2 stranded boaters near Whiskey Island, La. (dvidshub.net)