ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - A 55-year-old man had to be medevaced from a vessel east of Elizabeth City Friday.
The Coast Guard says they were contacted by the 516-foot motor vessel Orange Wave that they had a man aboard that needed medical attention.
Watchstanders launched a crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to perform the medevac and a HC-130 Hercules aircrew to assist with communications.
Winds of 42 to 45-knots along with 22 to 26-foot swells greeted them on their arrival.
“We did the hoist from 168-feet to compensate for the 22 to 26-foot seas and the tall super structure of the ship reporting below,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ian Kesterson, the flight mechanic aboard the Jayhawk. “The water was coming over the bow and the sides.”
The man was hoisted aboard and transferred to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
“This was a difficult case,” said Kesterson. “Our main concern was finding a proper balance of safety and getting the job done.”
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