U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson (archive.)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— A Coast Guard crew medevaced a 23-year-old male Saturday afternoon from Thompson Reef.
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center watchstanders were notified at 12:30 p.m. that a free diver was found by a friend to be unconscious and was conducting CPR.
Coast Guard watchstanders launched an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Station Sand Key 45-foot Response Boat— Medium boatcrew to medevac the man.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson (archive).
The aircrew arrived on scene at 1:15 p.m. and hoisted the man from a 20-foot Proline vessel and continued CPR while in transit to Tampa General Hospital, where the man was transferred to medical personnel.
The Pasco Co. Marine boatcrew escorted the dive vessel back to port in Cody River.
«We were able to get to the scene quickly to provide assistance to the diver and transport him to medical care,» said Petty Officer 1st Class Genes Noel, the operations unit controller in the command center. «We are also grateful for the assistance of the Pasco Co. Marine.»
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U.S. Coast Guard photo (archive).
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