Freighter crewman gets finger caught, crushed in engine gear

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
 
(JUNEAU, Alaska) — The Coast Guard safely medevaced a crewmember suffering a finger injury aboard the motor vessel Horizon Anchorage, a 678-foot freighter homeported in Philadelphia, today, 170 miles southwest of Sitka. John Engelbrecht, a 50-year old male from Bainbridge Island, Wash., reportedly crushed and partially severed his right index finger while working on a diesel engine and his finger got caught in one of the gears.
The Coast Guard command center in Juneau received the call from the master of the vessel Horizon Anchorage at 12:03 p.m. and launched a MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka at 12:32 p.m.
The rescue helicopter arrived on scene and safely hoisted Engelbrecht at 2:45 p.m.
“They did a great job,” said Engelbrecht. “They demonstrated professionalism and made the hoist a smooth transition.”
The rescue helicopter transported Engelbrecht to Juneau arriving at 5 p.m. where local emergency medical services were waiting to take Engelbrecht to Bartlett Regional Hospital for further medical care.
By Professional Mariner Staff