The aircrew conducted a training flight around the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Lisa Ferdinando.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aicrew and AMVER vessel crew rescue two German sailors off Puerto Rico.
The Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew medevac the German couple, Monday, from the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System 967-foot Malta-flagged tanker ship, BW Lilac, approximately 110 nautical miles north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
The MH-60 Jayhawk Medium-Range Recovery Helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater transported the man and woman, reportedly in their 60s, to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Regional Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the emergency medical service (EMS) personnel received and transported them to the “Centro Medico” Hospital in San Juan.
They reportedly sustained injuries aboard the 32-foot sailing vessel, Uplace, and required a higher level of care ashore.
The man and woman, reportedly in their 60’s, each sustained injuries aboard the 36-foot sailing vessel Uplace, and were required to abandon their vessel in 12-foot seas, approximately 340 nm north of Puerto Rico.
U.S. Coast Guard video.
U.S. Coast Guard Southeast.
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater.
Department of Homeland Security.
Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a request from the International Emergency Rescue Coordination Center (EGC) at 9:45p.m., Saturday, to medevac the master of the Uplace, who had sustained a leg injury. Watchstanders conducted an Emergency Group Call, EGC, to alert maritime traffic near the distress. The BW Lilac crew responded to the EGC and diverted from their transit to assist the mariners.
Once on scene in 12-foot seas, approximately 340 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico, the tanker vessel BW Lilac crew embarked the mariners and reported to the Coast Guard that the woman had sustained a broken wrist. Upon rendezvous with the BW Lilac, the MH-60T Jayhawk aircrew hoisted both patients safely aboard the aircraft.
“We were happy to get the patients to safety and a higher level of care after such a scary incident,” said Petty Officer Rich Stewart, MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter flight mechanic and aircrew for the case. “A huge thanks to the BW Lilac for going out of their way to take them aboard and ensure they were taken care of.”
The Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue, also known as Amver, is a worldwide voluntary reporting system sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. It is a computer-based global ship-reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea.
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