On 13th September, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a tanker crew member from the water 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas.
As explained, Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a distress call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. from personnel aboard the tanker vessel Ghibli, stating that a crew member had fallen overboard and was not wearing a life jacket.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, diverted an already airborne MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston and directed the launch of a 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Galveston.
According to Coast Guard, the helicopter crew located the man, deployed a rescue swimmer to pull him from the water, and transported him to University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston to receive further care.
The man was reportedly in stable condition.
Wearing a life jacket is absolutely crucial. It was fortunate that our helicopter crew was flying nearby. If not, this case might have ended differently.
…said Travis Addison, Operations Unit Controller at Sector Houston-Galveston.
