Alaska News

Tugboat crewman in medical emergency on Prince William Sound rescued by Coast Guard

A Coast Guard helicopter team on Wednesday hoisted a man thought to be having a heart attack from a tugboat in Prince William Sound.

The tug Sea Voyager was near Hinchinbrook Island around 8:30 a.m. when the crew member started to show symptoms of a heart attack, according to a Coast Guard statement.

An emergency medical technician aboard the boat gave him medication and contacted the Coast Guard. A flight surgeon recommended the man be medevaced, the statement said.

A Kodiak-based Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crew flew to the boat, which was on the north side of Hinchinbrook Island.

The crew member climbed into a basket and was hoisted into the helicopter, said Petty Officer 1st Class William Colclough.

The ailing mariner was flown to Anchorage for treatment, he said.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

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