(HOUSTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a tanker crewmember from the water 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday.
Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watch standers received a distress call on VHF-FM Channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. from personnel aboard the tanker vessel Ghibli, stating that a crewmember had fallen overboard and was not wearing a life jacket.
Watch standers issued an urgent marine information broadcast, diverted an already airborne MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston and directed the launch of a 45-foot response boat-medium crew from Coast Guard Station Galveston.
The helicopter crew located the man, deployed a rescue swimmer to pull him from the water, and transported him to University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston to receive further care.
The man was reportedly in stable condition.
“Wearing a life jacket is absolutely crucial,” said Travis Addison, Operations Unit controller at Sector Houston-Galveston. “It was fortunate that our helicopter crew was flying nearby. If not, this case might have ended differently.”
Click here to watch a video of the rescue.
– U.S. Coast Guard
