ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Kodiak-based Coast Guard Cutter SPAR crew medevaced a crew member from the fishing vessel Maverick more than 200 miles to Saint Paul Island Wednesday.

The crew of the Maverick, which was fishing north of St. Paul Island, contacted the Cutter SPAR over VHF radio Channel 16 at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, requesting medical assistance for Richard Quashnick, an Oregon resident and crewmember, who was reportedly suffering from complications due to high blood pressure. The crew of the Cutter SPAR was more than 20 miles away and arrived on scene with the Maverick at 4:09 p.m. and deployed a Coast Guard health services technician to the vessel to better assess Quashnick’s medical needs.

The attending health services technician conferred with a Coast Guard flight surgeon and it was decided to use the Cutter SPAR’s small boat to transfer Quashnick aboard the cutter and transport him more than 200 miles to St. Paul Island where commercial medevac services would fly him to Anchorage for further medical care.

The Cutter SPAR crew safely arrived in St. Paul at 12:30 p.m. and transferred Quashnick in good condition to the waiting commercial life flight.

The Maverick is an 82-foot steel hulled Seattle-based fishing vessel.

For more information contact Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley at 907-321-4510