Coast Guard Medevacs Crewmember from F/V Icy Mist

F/V Icy Mist, grounded on Akutan Island in February, 2009. Image-USCG
F/V Icy Mist, grounded on Akutan Island in February, 2009. Image-USCG

A crewmember aboard the Icy Mist, a 58-foot fishing vessel, suffered injuries while loading crab pots 150 miles to the south of Sand Point on Sunday evening.

The Coast Guard was notified of the incident and the man’s injuries and it was deemed a medvac was necessary. After the duty flight surgeon recommended the medevac, a Jayhawk was dispatched to the area. The helicopter dispatched from the Coast Guard’s FOL in Cold Bay.

When the helicopter arrived on the scene, the injured fisherman was hoisted aboard and transported to Cold Bay. At the clinic there, the fisherman was reported as stable and coherent.

“This case was the first for our FOL Cold Bay aircrews this season and demonstrates the importance of our seasonal deployments,” said Lt. j.g. Joey Schlosser, command duty officer, Coast Guard 17th District. “Forward operating locations enables us to reduce emergency response times and allows us to transport mariners in distress to medical care as quickly as possible.”

The f/v Icy Mist is no stranger to mishap. It was on February 25, 2009 that the vessel was grounded on the northwest shore of Akutan. The Coast Guard responded to the scene at that time as well, and transported the crew, who had abandoned ship during a storm with reported winds in excess of 120 mph. The crew was transported by helicopter to Dutch Harbor during that incident.