The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(KODIAK, Alaska) — A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced an injured crewman from the freighter Cinzia D’Amato near Adak, Wednesday.
The Jayhawk crew rendezvoused with the vessel 117 miles from Adak Island, safely hoisted the man aboard and transported him to awaiting emergency medical personnel in Adak who then transferred him to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage for further medical care. An Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules airplane crew accompanied the Jayhawk crew to provide cover, communications and self-rescue capabilities.
Coast Guard 17th District Command Center watchstanders received a call at 3:50 a.m., from the master of the 738-foot freighter Cinzia D’Amato requesting the medevac of a 21-year-old Italian crewmember who had suffered severe internal injuries after falling approximately 75 feet from the vessel’s exhaust stack.
The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon concurred with the medevac request and the watchstanders advised the master to alter the vessel’s course toward Adak to close the 370 miles distance and come within range of the Coast Guard Jayhawk crew.
“This medevac demonstrates the ability of our crews to adapt to challenging situations and conduct rescue operations in remote areas,” said Petty Officer Rob Luna, a search and rescue coordinator for the 17th District command center. “Due to the location of this case, approximately 1,054 miles southwest of Kodiak, Coast Guard watchstanders in Juneau needed to coordinate the deployment of multiple Coast Guard assets and crews from Kodiak. The coordination and teamwork of the different units and personnel involved ensured the injured mariner was safely hoisted from the vessel and transferred to medical services for treatment.”
Weather conditions in the vicinity of Adak were reported as 28 to 46 mph winds with 16-foot seas and rain. The Cinza D’Amato is an Italian-flagged cargo vessel on a voyage from Japan to California.
