KODIAK, Alaska — A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a 70-year-old man from Gustavus near Glacier Bay 46 miles to Juneau Tuesday evening.
Coast Guard District 17 command center watchstanders received a call from the crew of the 625-foot cruise ship Statendam requesting a medevac of the man who was reportedly suffering symptoms of congestive heart failure.
The command center directed the launch of the helicopter crew at 8:23 p.m. The helicopter crew arrived at the Gustavus airport at 9:15 p.m.
The Statendam crew transported the patient from the cruise ship to awaiting emergency medical services on shore via their small boat. The EMS then took the patient to the airport and safely transferred him to the helicopter crew at 9:45 p.m.
The helicopter crew flew from Gustavus and arrived at the Juneau airport at 10:35 p.m. where local EMS transported the patient to Bartlett Regional Hospital for further medical care.