A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater helicopter aircrew medevac’d a captain on a fishing vessel who suffered a hand injury while hauling line May 12.
The operation took place about 122 miles west of Longboat Key.
The helicopter crew took the 56-year-old man to Tampa General Hospital. The man was not identified and the hospital did not provide information about his condition, citing privacy concerns.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector St. Petersburg directed the launch of an Air Station Clearwater MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter to conduct the medical evacuation.
Once on scene, the air crew deployed their rescue swimmer, who assessed the patient’s condition and used a rescue basket to safely hoist and bring the passenger aboard the aircraft.
“Executing a medevac more than 100 miles out in the Gulf requires precise execution,” Chief Petty Officer Sean Deaton, a command duty officer assigned to Sector St. Petersburg, said in a news release. “The quick and decisive actions by both our command center and air station personnel led to this successful rescue, demonstrating the proficiency and readiness of our crews to respond whenever and wherever they are needed.”