Coast Guard Airlifts Man Who Suffered Hand Injury on Ship

San Francisco, CA — The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday airlifted a crewmember of a commercial vessel miles off of San Francisco for treatment of a hand injury.

The Coast Guard's 11th District command center in Alameda was notified at 3:50 a.m. Saturday of a 44-year-old man who suffered a hand laceration on STI Fontvielle, a ship more than 610 nautical miles west of San
Francisco, Coast Guard officials said.

A Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended that the man be taken to a hospital for surgery, so the ship diverted its course to a rendezvous point 60 nautical miles away from San Francisco.

Chief Petty Officer Brandyn Hill said the helicopter used in the rescue has limited range, so it was not dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco until 2:12 p.m. Sunday to give the ship time to travel
to the rendezvous point.

Upon arriving at the location, the helicopter safely hoisted the man onto the aircraft shortly before 3 p.m.
The man was then taken to San Francisco General Hospital by San Francisco Fire Department crews at the Coast Guard station the helicopter launched from, Coast Guard officials said.

By Bay City News

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