In a crucial display of maritime rescue capability, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully evacuated a man displaying life-threatening medical symptoms from a vessel far off the coast of San Francisco. According to a report by the Coast Guard, the crew member aboard the cargo ship Aetos began to suffer from what appeared to be appendicitis when the vessel was some 820 miles from the shore.
The operation began after the ship's captain alerted District 11 watchstanders around 10 AM Sunday. The Coast Guard immediately advised them to converge at a predesignated rendezvous point quickly. This coordination led to deploying an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Ventura, which needed to stop at Air Station San Francisco to refuel before heading out to the reported location of the Aetos.
With precision, the aircrew embarked on their mission around 5 PM on Tuesday. They faced a daunting task: traversing 185 miles over the Pacific's treacherous expanse to reach the ailing seaman. The helicopter arrived on the scene at approximately 7 PM, as recounted by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The aircrew then hoisted the patient, a 40-year-old member of the Aetos crew, into the helicopter and set their course back towards terra firma. The patient was successfully transported to San Francisco International Airport, landing at approximately 9 PM on Tuesday, where he was handed over to the care of waiting emergency medical services.
