CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard came to the aid of a 45-year-old man aboard a 625-foot vessel in the St. Marys River, at the Neebish Island Ferry Dock, located on Neebish Island, Mich., Sunday afternoon.
A search-and-rescue coordinator from Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., was contacted at 2:10 p.m. by someone aboard the motor vessel Buffalo. The reporting source stated that one of the crewmembers was suffering from tightness in his chest and was having difficulty breathing.
After conferring with a flight surgeon, it was determined that the man should be taken ashore for further treatment. The motor vessel was at the dock but, due to its size, the crew could not safely transport the man to the emergency medical services waiting at the dock.
A Coast Guard Station Sault Ste. Marie rescue boatcrew launched aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small.
The rescue boatcrew arrived on scene at about 2:44 p.m., transferred the man onto the RB-S, and transported him to the dock where he was transferred to EMS in stable condition.
“The crew of the motor vessel took the necessary precautions to take care of their fellow crewmember,” said James Barber, a command duty officer at Sector Sault Ste. Marie. “Unfortunately, the motor vessel was too large to moor at the ferry docks.”
“The Coast Guard responded with the right tool for the job.”
