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Coast Guard medevacs fishing boat captain miles off Sanibel

WGCU | By WGCU Staff
Published July 14, 2025 at 7:07 PM EDT
A USCG aircrew safely transported a fishing boat captain who fell ill aboard his vessel to Gulf Coast Medical Center
USCG
A USCG aircrew safely transported a fishing boat captain who fell ill aboard his vessel to Gulfcoast Medical Center
DOD_111148004.mp4

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater aircrew medevac'd a 77-year-old fishing boat captain Sunday experiencing stroke-like symptoms while in the Gulf about 138 miles southwest of Sanibel Island.

The man was safely transported to Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers.

Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg personnel received a phone call at 7:33 p.m. from the owner of Honey Bee, a commercial fishing vessel, reporting the captain was experiencing a medical emergency.

USCG personnel coordinated the launch of an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew. Air Station Miami launched an HC-144 aircrew for communication assistance due to the distance from shore.

“The interoperability of our units is paramount to our success during long-distance operations,” Chief Petty Officer Jean Latimer, an operations specialist assigned to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, said. “Through the coordination of both our aircrews and our watchstanders at the command center we were able to get this fisherman the care he needed.”

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Human Interest WGCU NewsU.S. Coast GuardGulf Coast Medical Center
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