Coast Guard medevacs sick cargo ship crew member 86 miles off Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a sick cargo ship crew member 86 miles off Hawaii Wednesday.

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At around 7:50 a.m. Tuesday, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders were alerted to a sick 55-year-old crew member aboard the U.S.- flagged Ocean Gladiator, a 545-foot cargo ship.

At the time, the ship was 540 miles southeast of Hawaii Island.

The Coast Guard said a duty flight surgeon was consulted and recommended a medevac when the ship was 86 miles off Hawaii. USCG and the ship’s crew stayed in regular contact to monitor the sick crew member’s status.

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At 8:35 a.m. Wednesday, an MH-65 helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point medevaced the man from the ship.

The helicopter crew then flew the sick crewmember to Hilo International Airport, where he received medical care.

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