Coast Guard medevacs seizure victim and rescues kayaker

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coast Guard crews medevaced a 17-year-old female suffering from a seizure south of Port Mansfield Saturday and later worked with Packery Patrol to rescue a distressed kayaker north of Packery Channel.

At approximately 8:10 a.m., the father of the 17-year-old called Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi for assistance, since his daughter was suffering from a seizure while fishing with the family approximately 8 miles south of Port Mansfield.

The watchstanders launched an aircrew aboard a MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi and a boatcrew aboard a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement from Coast Guard Station South Padre Island to assist. The aircrew transferred her to Valley Baptist Hospital in stable condition.

“I am extremely happy and proud that our crew and the station boatcrew were able to help this young lady” said Lt. Eric Vryheid, the helicopter pilot. “We were able to get on-scene and get her to higher level care as quickly as possible. She and her family are in our thoughts and we hope for a full and speedy recovery.”

At approximately 11:00 a.m., the Coast Guard received a phone call reporting that a man had overturned in his kayak and was clinging to it.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi diverted an MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter and launched a 45-foot Response Boat — Medium from Coast Guard Station Port Aransas.

The helicopter located the man an hour later clinging to the kayak which was half sunk in the water approximately 1 mile offshore and 8 miles north of Packery Channel. The helicopter vectored in the response-boat crew and a Packery Patrol boatcrew, who recovered the man and his kayak.

“This is the type of mission we train for every day,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class John Wall, the helicopter flight mechanic. “Fortunately, the man was wearing a life jacket and the reporting source was able to give us an accurate description of his kayak and location.”

The man was taken to Coast Guard Station Port Aransas and is in good condition.


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