ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Coast Guard medevacked a 19-year-old man Wednesday from a shrimping boat 7 miles west of Egmont Key.
At 10:07 a.m. watch standers from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a VHF-FM marine band radio channel 16 call from the captain of the 78-foot shrimping boat Sea Rider. He stated one of his crew members was experiencing chest pains and in need of emergency medical assistance. A flight surgeon was notified and recommended the 19-year-old be medevacked.
The Coast Guard Cutter Tarpon crew and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cortez were launched.
The Tarpon crew initiated first aid on the man and coordinated with the Station Cortez crew for transport to Fort De Soto Bay Pier where EMS were waiting. The man was transferred to the EMS in stable condition.
“When the shrimping crew found themselves in a medical emergency, they immediately communicated their distress,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Zach Wilson, a crew member aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tarpon. “They quickly led us to their location. It helped both boat crews seamlessly coordinate to assist the individual in need.”
The Tarpon is an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat homeported in St. Petersburg.