SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard medically evacuated a 44-year-old male crewmember from the vessel STI Fountvielle approximately 60 nautical miles west of San Francisco, Sunday.
At approximately 3:50 a.m., Saturday, watchstanders at Coast Guard 11th District Command Center received a report from the crew of the commercial vessel STI Fountvielle that a man had suffered a laceration to his hand and was in stable condition after first aid was applied by the crew. The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended that the patient be medically evacuated and taken to a hospital for emergency care by a hand surgeon. At the time of the report, the vessel was more than 610 nautical miles west of San Francisco, where the vessel diverted course to a rendezvous point approximately 60 nautical miles west of San Francisco for the medical evacuation. At 2:12 p.m. Sunday, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco, arrived on scene and safely hoisted the man at approximately 2:55 p.m. The helicopter crew then returned to the air station where the patient was transferred to awaiting San Francisco Fire Department personnel and taken to the San Francisco General Hospital.
"The Coast Guard has a long tradition as a humanitarian rescue organization as exemplified by this complex rescue,” said Lt. Cmdr. Rhianna Macon, a Coast Guard Sector San Francisco search and rescue mission coordinator. “Our crews assume risks every day to help others in need."