JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Coast Guard medically evacuated a crewmember aboard a 525-foot tug-barge composite approximately 37 miles northeast of the St. Johns River entrance in Mayport, Fla today.
Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville watchstanders received a VHF channel 16 radio distress call at 12:30 p.m. Thursday from a crewmember aboard the vessel Seahawk reporting a 62-year-old crewmember was experiencing severe abdominal pain and in need of medical attention.
A 47-foot motor life boat crew from Coast Guard Station Mayport transported the crewmember to emergency medical personnel.
The Coast Guard reminds all mariners, commercial and recreational, that VHF channel 16 is the radio frequency reserved for reporting international distress, safety and hailing for emergencies. Ships required to carry radio, Coast Guard vessels and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.
