A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man from a container ship more than 30 miles off the coast of SF Saturday night after the vessel had traveled nearly 200 miles to get closer to shore.
The Coast Guard Sector San Francisco first received notification at 10:56 am Saturday of a 53-year-old crew member who was experiencing a medical emergency, when the ship was approximately 225 miles offshore, according to a news release. With the vessel still far out at sea, watchstanders coordinated the response as the ship, called the Ever Elite, traveled closer to shore.
They also utilized the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system to identify nearby commercial ships that might be able to assist.
It took nearly 11 hours for the Ever Elite to get close enough to shore for a Coast Guard helicopter to reach the ship — about 34 miles off the coast of San Francisco.
At 10:08 pm Saturday, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco arrived alongside the container ship. A Coast Guard C-27 Spartan aircraft from Air Station Sacramento provided aerial coordination and overwatch during the operation.
Once the ship was within reach, the helicopter crew conducted the hoist, as seen in the Coast Guard’s video. They flew the man back to Air Station San Francisco, where emergency medical services personnel were waiting. He was then transported to Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula Medical Center for further treatment.
“This rescue highlights the coordination and teamwork of our Coast Guard members during maritime search and rescue operations, as well as the critical role the AMVER system plays in saving lives,” said Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Rodgers, the Coast Guard's search and rescue mission coordinator.
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