Coast Guard medevacs diver near Cape Lookout, NC

MH-60 Jayhawk, ©USCG

A Coast Guard aircrew aboard a MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter medevacs a diver suffering from possible decompression sickness near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, June 17, 2018. The diver was safely hoisted up and transported to Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. 

WILMINGTON — The Coast Guard medevaced a man who was showing signs of decompression sickness approximately 10 miles east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, Sunday.

A crewmember aboard a 52-foot diving vessel contacted the Sector North Carolina command center via VHF-FM radio channel 16 at 10 a.m. and notified them the diver may have surfaced too quickly and was experiencing shortness of breath.

Sector North Carolina diverted a MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City that was conducting training nearby.

Once on scene, the aircrew was able to safely hoist the man up and transport him to Norfolk Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.

“Divers experiencing decompression sickness need to receive medical attention as soon as possible,” said Lt. Tiffany Zehnle, command duty officer. “Today, the crew contacted us immediately after they noticed the symptoms, like shortness of breath after the diver surfaced, which really made this a successful case. Some other symptoms to be on the lookout for are numbness, dizziness and pain in joints after surfacing from a dive.”

-USCG-

Coast Guard rescues 2 off of sailing vessel 180 miles west of Grays Harbor, Wash.

MH-60 Jayhawk, © USCG

WARRENTON, Ore. — The Coast Guard rescued a husband and wife off a sailing vessel 180 miles off the coast of Grays Harbor, Washington, Saturday morning.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew, from Sector Columbia River, tracked the sailing vessel’s electronic position indicating radio beacon and safely hoisted the couple before transporting them to the sector’s base in Warrenton.

The Coast Guard District 13 Command Center in Seattle received an EPIRB alert at 5:46 a.m. from the 46-foot sailing vessel Kelaerin. The sailors were reportedly transiting between Hawaii and Bellingham, Washington, when they ran into rough weather and seas.

The helicopter aircrew and a crew aboard a C-27 Spartan aircraft from Air Station Sacramento were launched to assist. The helicopter crew arrived on scene at 9:33 a.m. and lowered a rescue swimmer to assess the situation. The sailing vessel wasn’t actively taking on water but seawater had washed aboard. The aircrew conducted the hoist at the request of the vessel owners because of health concerns.

The rescue helicopter landed at Sector Columbia River at 11:50 a.m. and transferred patient care to awaiting emergency medical services who treated the couple for symptoms related to hypothermia.

A marine information broadcast is being sent out to notify vessel traffic of the adrift sailing vessel. The attempted salvage of the vessel will be at the owners discretion.

-USCG-