An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station San Francisco Forward Operating Base medevaced an injured man Friday from a commercial cargo ship more than 46 miles west of San Luis Obispo.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a man injured after a 16-foot fall on a cargo ship off the Central Coast on Friday, according to the agency.
The 27-year-old man was on the Hyundai Jupiter, a 1,060-foot bulk carrier, that was in the ocean more than 46 miles west of San Luis Obispo, the Coast Guard wrote in a media release.
When the captain of the vessel contacted the 11th Coast Guard District command center to request assistance, a Coast Guard helicopter in San Francisco and a plane in Sacramento were deployed to conduct the rescue.
The Mugu MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from San Francisco and C-27J Spartan from Sacramento flew through thick fog before locating the ship. The Dolphin lowered a crew member and a stretcher to hoist the patient into the helicopter, according to the Coast Guard.
The man was taken to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He is reportedly in stable condition, according to the Coast Guard.
“The offshore environment always tries to throw surprises, especially with the fog bank not predicted to be to the surface,” Lt. Kristin Euchler, the MH-65 Dolphin co-pilot for this rescue, was quoted in the release.
“Luckily with all the prior coordination, we were able to shoot the approach through the clouds with a solid radar hit of the large vessel. The coordination between District 11, the vessel and the C-27 overhead was crucial in finding the vessel. The teamwork from all watchstanders and the vessel allowed for accurate fuel planning and success of the rescue window for the patient.”
Mackenzie Shuman primarily writes about Cal Poly, SLO County education and the environment for The Tribune. She’s originally from Monument, Colorado, and graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2020. When not writing, Mackenzie spends time outside hiking, running and rock climbing.
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