U.S. Coast Guard medevacs captain from fishing vessel offshore East Hawai‘i

The U.S. Coast Guard on May 9 medevaced the captain of a commercial fishing vessel 80 miles offshore from Hilo on the east side of Hawai‘i Island, several days after the nearly 70-year-old man reported several days earlier to watchstanders at Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu he had been experiencing some kind of illness for more than a week.

Watchstanders on O‘ahu received a phone call at 6:50 a.m. May 6 from the captain of the 78-foot fishing vessel Sea Angel, which was about 675 miles northeast of Hilo at the time.

The 68-year-old had reportedly been suffering from severe symptoms such as abdominal pain and fever already for 10 days.

Watchstanders established a regular communication schedule with the vessel’s crew after conferring with the duty flight surgeon and directed them to transit toward Hawai‘i Island.

U.S. Coast Guard 14th District and U.S. Coast Guard Base Honolulu personnel procured antibiotics, which an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers successfully dropped at 1:07 p.m. May 7 to the Sea Angel.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Barbers Point arrived on scene with the Sea Angel at 10:27 a.m. May 9, hoisted the patient and transported him to Hilo Benioff Medical Center.

He was reported to be in stable condition.

An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew also provided communication and translation support during the hoist.

“Communication and coordination are essential when it comes to search and rescue, especially complex, offshore cases,” said Cmdr. Andrew Williams, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu search and rescue mission coordinator. “It was through the training and readiness of each crew, the ability of our personnel to translate Vietnamese and the long-range capabilities of our aircraft that we were able to successfully deliver the patient to the care he needed.”

Follow the U.S. Coast Guard in Hawai‘i on Facebook, X and Instagram for additional information about the agency, its missions, activities and more.