Eye injury on bulker prompts airlift off Oregon coast

The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

(WARRENTON, Ore.) — The Coast Guard hoisted an injured crewmember off a motor vessel 15 miles west of the entrance to the Columbia River on Friday morning.

The injured crewmember, a 60-year-old male, is in stable condition and reportedly lost sight in his left eye Tuesday, and will be treated by a physician.

Watch standers at the Coast Guard 13th District Command Center in Seattle received an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) notification message through Coast Guard Pacific Area command in Alameda, Calif., concerning the injured crewmember at 3:55 p.m. Tuesday. The Coast Guard and the captain of the motor vessel Alexandria, a 740-foot Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, made plans to meet for a medevac when the vessel got closer to shore. At the time of notification the Alexandria was 610 miles west of the entrance to the Columbia River. The vessel made best speed toward land during the past few days.

The Coast Guard has been on a communication schedule with the captain of the ship during the week to monitor the condition of the injured crewmember.

An air crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Sector Columbia River departed at about 7:30 a.m., Friday and arrived on scene with the ship at about 8 a.m. and hoisted the injured crewmember safely and transferred him to the base in Warrenton, where he was met by emergency medical services and transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria.

By Professional Mariner Staff