POSTED: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 - 1:30pm
UPDATED: Friday, February 1, 2013 - 11:01am
New Orleans, La — A Coast Guard aircrew medevaced a 53-year-old Filipino crewman from a tank ship approximately 200 miles south of Southwest Pass in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans command center received a call at 12:05 p.m. from the Liberian-flagged tank ship Rheingas that one of its crewmembers reportedly suffered from a possible broken jaw, neck injury and internal bleeding. The crewman reportedly sustained the injuries during a boat lowering evolution.
A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched and arrived at the location of the Rheingas at approximately 5:00 p.m. and hoisted him aboard. The aircrew transported him to West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero.
“This case was one of the longest ones we have responded to; the location of the vessel was below the bottom of our navigational chart," said Lt. Linh Vinh, Air Station New Orleans pilot. "The medevac went off without a hitch as a result of superior training, dedication and great care in expediting his immediate medical attention."
The crewman's condition is unknown.