KODIAK, Alaska — A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak medevaced a diver from a 48-foot fishing vessel in Alitak Bay near the south end of Kodiak Island Monday.
The helicopter crew hoisted the 24-year-old man, reportedly suffering from shortness of breath and intermittent consciousness, from the Patricia Kay at approximately 10:33 p.m. He was flown 92 miles northeast to meet emergency medical services at Air Station Kodiak and was transferred in stable condition.
The Coast Guard was notified at approximately 8:30 p.m. of a possible medical emergency aboard the Patricia Kay by the Kodiak Police Department. A crewman aboard the vessel had been diving for sea cucumbers and was forced to surface quickly when he reportedly ran out of air. The crew of the vessel performed CPR and the master of the vessel called for assistance. The initial call was partially heard by police department personnel who relayed the information to Coast Guard Sector Anchorage command center watchstanders. The command center watchstanders consulted the duty flight surgeon who recommended the medevac.
“My recommendation for the medevac was due to the patient’s complex and uncertain symptoms including his possible cardiac arrest and the severity of his symptoms at the time,” said Cmdr. Kevin Nolan, the on-call Coast Guard duty flight surgeon, at Rockmore-King Clinic. “The vessel crew performed CPR and they did the right thing by calling the Coast Guard for help. Based on his symptoms it was necessary to medevac him to a higher level of care.”
The weather at the time of the medevac was reportedly 17 mph winds with calm seas and an air temperature of 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The Patricia Kay is homeported in Kodiak.
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Coast Guard medevacs diver near Kodiak, Alaska
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