The US Coast Guard (USCG) medevaced a man from a cargo vessel that was sailing approximately 25 miles off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, after reports of experiencing symptoms of a possible heart attack.
Specifically, the crewmembers aboard the Panamanian flagged cargo ship Balsa 84, which was in route to the Delaware Bay area, came into contact with watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay’s command center at approximately 10:20 a.m., when they reported that the 61-year-old Filipino captain was experiencing symptoms of a possible heart attack and was in need of medical assistance.
The USCG medevaced the captain off of the cargo vessel by an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City to assist.
When they arrived on the scene, the aircrew hoisted the man onto the helicopter and transported him to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.
Petty Officer 1st Class Will Lengyel, watchstander during the case commented that “The speedy notification helped us quickly get the captain the level of care he needed.”
This incident presents the risks of experiencing heart attack symptoms onboard the vessel. The possibility of heart attack may be the result of hypertension or high blood pressure, in which constricted arterial blood vessels increase the resistance to blood flow, causing an increase in blood pressure against vessel walls.
Keep in mind: Symptoms of hypertensive crisis
- Stroke
- Loss of consciousness
- Memory loss
- Heart attack
- Damage to the eyes and kidneys
- Loss of kidney function
- Aortic dissection
- Angina (unstable chest pain)
- Pulmonary edema (fluid backup in the lungs)
- Eclampsia
