ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard medevaced a man Thursday from a vessel approximately 170 miles southwest of Cold Bay.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak hoisted the ailing man at about 8 a.m. and flew him to Cold Bay where he was placed in the care of an awaiting LifeMed aircraft crew.

Coast Guard watchstanders in the 17th District command center in Juneau received the request at about 1 p.m. Wednesday to hoist the 61-year-old man experiencing abdominal pain from the 905-foot, U.S.-flagged, motor vessel Alaskan Navigator that was en route from Valdez to China, and approximately 270 miles southwest of Unalaska.

The Coast Guard requested that the Alaskan Navigator change course in order to meet the Coast Guard helicopter for the hoist.

The aircrew launched from Kodiak Wednesday, landed in Cold Bay to refuel, and launched to conduct the medevac at first light Thursday.

Approximate conditions at the time of the hoist included partly cloudy skies, 20 mph winds, 10-foot seas, an air temperature of 40 degrees and a water temperature of 43 degrees.

Operational flights of Coast Guard aircraft continue as required, and crews and aircraft are ready to respond to any requests for assistance.

During the planning phase of every search and rescue or medical evacuation mission, Coast Guard District 17 follows protocols to determine potential survivor exposure to COVID-19. Air Station Kodiak maintains appropriate personal protective equipment for aircrews during missions and has decontamination procedures and equipment for the crews and aircraft upon their landing. This capability is deployable anywhere Coast Guard aircraft can land.

Kodiak Coast Guard personnel and their families remain focused on the health and well-being of the entire Kodiak community, especially during this pandemic crisis. Many Coast Guard family members are actively serving the local community as doctors, nurses, and other front line healthcare providers. Many Coast Guard dependents are serving as teachers and educators providing essential online education to the Kodiak community.

Active Duty members and their families are actively volunteering in the community by providing meals, delivering groceries, sewing cloth masks, and providing financial support to those in need.

Coast Guard senior leaders also are members of the Kodiak Emergency Services Committee and the Kodiak Economic Task Force, as well as serving as part of the Kodiak Incident Command System.

Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak remains ready to serve Alaskans and the United States, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

-USCG-

  Alaska, At Sea, Coast Guard, cold bay, crewmember, medevac