Coast Guard medevacs patient with spinal injuries

A 58-year-old man who suffered spinal injuries in a fall from a ladder was evacuated via a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter to Cold Bay, then transferred to a Guardian flight for transport to the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage.

The medevac on Feb. 15 marked the sixth emergency evacuation from King Cove in 2018 and the first requiring assistance from the Coast Guard.

Weather conditions at King Cove prohibited the traditional fixed wing aircraft from landing at the small community air strip.

The community of King Cove has sought secure land access to the all-weather airport in Cold Bay for the past 38 years. The King Cove Native Corp., whose shareholders include members of the federally-recognized Agdaagux and Belkofski tribes, signed a land exchange agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior in January to establish a road corridor to better protect the health and safety of the residents of King Cove.

Since 2014, there have been 75 medevacs from King Cove, including 18 involving the Coast Guard.

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