CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 2-day old infant in critical condition was airlifted by the Coast Guard last night from Brownsville, Texas to Corpus Christi.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. a Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon jet crew was dispatched from NAS Corpus Christi after receiving a call to airlift a 2-day old infant boy suffering from cardiac and respiratory complications. The boy was in shock and required immediate transport. The jet crew arrived in Brownsville at approximately 7:20 p.m. The boy and his mother were flown to Corpus Christi International Airport where a team of medical personnel were waiting to transport the boy to Driscoll Childrens Hospital via ambulance. The jet crew arrived at the Corpus Christi airport at 8:35 p.m.
The Coast Guard jet crew was about to take off on a routine patrol but turned back from the runway in order to drop off one crewman to make additional room for medical personnel from Brownsville. When the jet crew arrived in Brownsville to pick up the boy, the crew had to quickly remove all of the rescue equipment from the jet in order to make room for the additional medical specialists and the incubator that was keeping the boy alive.
Due to the number of medical personnel and the size of the incubator, the boy’s mother was not going to be able to ride with her son. One of the Coast Guard crewman volunteered to stay behind making room for her to ride in the jet.
A Coast Guard watchstander received the request for assistance from Driscoll after HALO experienced mechanical issues in both of their helicopters.
The boy is reported to be in critical, but stable condition.
Source: USCG D8 Public Affairs
