Discover the Fortune-Gas: Ratings & Maritime News

A swift and professional response unfolded on Monday, August 14, 2017, as the U.S. Coast Guard executed a medical evacuation of a 55-year-old Philippine national from the 550-foot tanker, Gaschem Stade, located 13 miles west of Egmont Key, Florida. At approximately 10:15 a.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received an urgent call via VHF-FM marine band radio channel 16. The crew on board the tanker reported that the man was experiencing potential heart attack symptoms and required immediate assistance. Following a thorough assessment, a flight surgeon recommended a medical evacuation to ensure the man received prompt care. In response, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Cortez and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater were dispatched to the scene. The boat crew quickly reached the tanker, where a Coast Guard member boarded to provide assistance. Soon after, the Jayhawk aircrew arrived, successfully hoisting the patient before flying him to Tampa General Hospital. Remarkably, he was in stable condition upon arrival, thanks to the timely and coordinated efforts of the Coast Guard teams involved.