Cold Bay area medevacs keep Coast Guard hopping

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter inside a hangar at Cold Bay in early October, so that Kodiak-based air crews can respond quickly during the winter fishing season. (Photo courtesy Petty Officer 1st Class Charly Hengen/Coast Guard District 17)

Coast Guard crews from Air Station Kodiak were called on twice within two days in the last week of February to medevac crew from commercial fishing vessels in the Cold Bay area.

On Monday, Feb. 25, a Coast Guard helicopter crew forward deployed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter John Midgett medevaced a crewman suffering with chest pains from the fishing vessel Vaerdal, approximately 70 miles north of Cold Bay, and transferred him to emergency medical services personnel at Cold Bay. Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Ayd noted the importance of having helicopters deployed on board cutters patrolling Alaskan waters. The medevac was conducted in 25 mph winds.

The MH-65 helicopter crew was still at Cold Bay after transferring the first patient on Jan. 25 when they were deployed 115 miles north of Cold Bay to medevac a crewmember aboard the Ocean Peace who was showing symptoms of appendicitis.

The crew launched from Cold Bay and landed aboard the Cutter John Midgett to refuel, then flew on to the fishing vessel to hoist the patient and landed back on the cutter to refuel again before transporting the second patient to Cold Bay. There the patient was put in care of an air crew contracted by Discovery Health for transport to Anchorage.

“Cutters with helicopters in the Bering Sea are essential due to the vast distances they travel to complete a mission,” said Lt. Cmdr. Orion Bloom, command center chief for the second medevac. The second medevac was conducted in six-foot seas with 12-mph winds.

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