A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a mariner off the 652-foot vessel Snowy, a bulk carrier, approximately 122 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, on Dec. 23, 2017.
The Jayhawk crew hoisted the 27-year-old man and transferred him to a LifeMed aircrew in Adak.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard 17th District received notification from the crew of the vessel that the mariner suffered from symptoms of appendicitis. Watchstanders consulted the duty flight surgeon who recommended the medevac.
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules airplane crew was directed to transport a relief Jayhawk crew, and to also provide coverage.
“Having the Jayhawk and Hercules crews work in tandem is essential for long-range medevac cases,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Brent Flanick, a Coast Guard 17th District watchstander. “Our crews often work as a team to get patients the medical care they need as efficiently as possible while keeping each other safe.”
Weather on scene was reported as 29-mile-per-hour winds and 13-foot seas.
