CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard medically evacuated a man from his vessel on Lake St. Clair after he had suffered an injury to one of his fingers late Sunday afternoon.
Around 5:00 p.m., the watchstander at Coast Guard Station St. Clair Shores received a request for assistance over Rescue 21 on VHF-FM channel 16 from people aboard a pleasure craft with seven people aboard. They stated the boat’s operator had injured his finger between the hull and that of a personal water craft while on Lake St. Clair in the vicinity of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
A Station St. Clair Shores boat crew responded aboard a 25-foot response boat.
Upon arrival, the response boat’s coxswain determined that the man needed immediate medical attention and transported him back to the station. Emergency medical services met them at the pier and transported the man to St. John Hospital & Medical Center in Detroit. His condition is unknown.
Commercial salvage responded and towed the vessel and remaining passengers back to the pier.
The Coast Guard reminds boaters of the importance of being able to communicate while on the water. VHF-FM radios are the best way to call for help in the event of an emergency. In addition to the Coast Guard receiving your distress call, other mariners in the area who are tuned to Channel 16 can also hear your call for assistance. Cell phones are not recommended as a primary means of communication due to most phones coverage gaps and most phones inability to properly work in the marine environment.
