Two separate Coast Guard aircrews conducted rescue missions Wednesday night, one medically evacuated an injured seaman off the coast of Oregon and the other rescued a stranded hiker south of Port Orford.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, hoisted an injured and ill seaman reportedly suffering from upper-body spasms and transported him to emergency medical services in Warrenton, and in a separate case an MH-65 Dolphin aircrew, from Coast Guard Sector North Bend, assisted a Curry County rescue team in rescuing a hiker, who was hoisted off the ledge and delivered to on-scene authorities in good condition.
At 8:07 p.m., watchstanders at Sector Columbia River received the medevac request from the motor vessel Nordic Stavanger reporting a 26-year-old male Ukrainian crewmember suffering from spasms believed to be linked to a laceration suffered 2 days prior that was not treated for Tetanus. The ship was approximately 100 miles southwest of the Columbia River entrance at the time of the request. The aircrew was launched and rendezvoused with the Nordic Stavanger 72 miles offshore and hoisted the seaman into the helicopter. The seaman was then transferred to EMS and delivered to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria for treatment. Sector Columbia River watchstanders notified the vessel’s agent and Customs and Border Protection.
At 9:15 p.m., watchstanders at Sector North Bend received and agency assist from Curry County for helicopter support in rescuing a stranded hiker stuck on a ledge 200 feet above the shoreline in Humbug Mountain State Park, which is just south of Port Orford. On scene local responders requested helicopter support after determining there was no safe land access to conduct the rescue. The North Bend aircrew conducted the hoist and delivered the stranded hiker to authorities safely.