Jun 12th, 2016
SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard medically evacuated a 67-year-old man from a sailing vessel approximately 380 miles southwest of San Diego, Sunday. At approximately 10 p.m., Saturday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Diego received a report from the crew of the sailing vessel Perseverance that a 67-year-old male was experiencing symptoms of possible life-threatening diabetic complications.
The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended that the patient be medically evacuated and taken to a hospital for emergency care. At the time of the report, the vessel was more than 380 miles southwest of San Diego and was en route to Hawaii.
Due to the distance from shore, a Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew would launch, refuel aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton and continue on to the vessel.
A Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27J Medium Range Surveillance Aircraft crew was also launched to provide additional radio communications and oversight of the medevac.
The Jayhawk crew was launched at 7:25 a.m., Sunday, then landed aboard the Stratton to refuel while the ship transited closer to the Perseverance.
At 9:15 a.m., the Jayhawk crew launched from the Stratton, then arrived on scene and safely hoisted the man at approximately 1030 a.m. The Jayhawk crew then returned to the Stratton for additional fuel before returning to San Diego.
At approximately 3:00 p.m., the Jayhawk crew returned to Sector San Diego, where he was transferred to awaiting EMS.
He was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital, in La Jolla, California.