CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard medically evacuated a man experiencing chest pains on an 18-foot recreational vessel in Saginaw Bay, Saturday morning.
A radio watchstander at Coast Guard Station Saginaw River, in Essexville, Mich., was contacted at 11:30 a.m. by local emergency dispatch about a passenger aboard an 18-foot recreational boat who was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack in Saginaw Bay near Bay City, Mich.
A rescue boatcrew launched aboard a 41-foot Utility Boat, while a Coast Guard Air Station Detroit rescue aircrew launched aboard an HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter.
The rescue boatcrew arrived on scene and transferred the man and a family member aboard the UTB and began transporting them to Station Saginaw River, where emergency medical services were waiting.
On the way to the station, the man’s heart stopped, and the rescue boatcrew immediately began administering first aid. They used an automated external defibrillator, a portable electronic device that can diagnose symptoms of a heart attack and treat them through electrical therapy, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.
The rescue boatcrew using the automated external defibrillator delivered one episode of electrical therapy to the man that had no effect, so crewmembers commenced cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
After three minutes of CPR, the man’s heart began to beat normally again.
Upon arriving at Station Saginaw River, the man was transferred to EMS in stable condition and transported, along with the family member, to Bay Medical Center, in Bay City. His current condition is unknown.
“We train, maintain and operate every day to be prepared for different situations and have CPR and first aid training several times a year to make sure we are always ready,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Caleb Stephenson, Station Saginaw River’s officer-of-the-day. “Standardized training across the Coast Guard allowed our newest crewmember to administer chest compressions and assist with the AED, which helped to save the man’s life.”
