BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The Coast Guard medically evacuated a man from a yacht in Tea Kettle Creek near Doboy Sound Sunday evening after he began experiencing heart complications.
Frank Schuch, 61, a native of Germany, was medically evacuated by an Air Station Savannah, Ga., HH-65 helicopter crew from his 42-foot yacht, Fortuna, Sunday at approximately 8 p.m.
Helen Haderer, 62, also a German native and Schuch’s travel mate, notified Coast Guard watch standers via Channel 16 VHF radio at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday and reported Schuch was suffering shocks from his pacemaker and needed immediate medical attention.
A 25-foot small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Brunswick and a rescue boat crew from Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources with emergency medical personnel aboard arrived on scene and determined Schuch needed to be airlifted to a hospital. The helicopter crew transported him to Savannah Memorial Hospital where he is reported to be in the intensive care unit.
The Coast Guard recommends that in case of an emergency situation, all persons traveling aboard a seagoing vessel are familiar with the waterways and know how to properly operate their craft. It is also important that while on the water, mariners continually monitor VHF channel 16 for marine broadcast and utilize it as a communication means with rescue officials on-shore. For more information about radio communication please visit the website http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/vhf.htm
