How the Coast Guard helped an injured shrimper caught in a winch on a boat off Key West
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday night rescued a wounded shrimper aboard a boat 47 miles off Key West.
The 56-year-old crew member suffered a leg injury when his clothing became tangled in a winch, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
Coast Guard Sector Key West received a medevac request at about 10 p.m. Monday.
At the time, the crew member was aboard a 67-foot shrimp boat called the Lexi Joe, which was about 47 miles northwest of Key West.
A Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew sent a rescue swimmer to the Lexi Joe to help the man until the boat arrived at Fishbusterz Fisheries marina on Stock Island.
“The man was safely transferred to emergency medical services for further medical attention,” the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said the weather conditions factored into the rescue.
“Due to dangerous conditions, the risk for air hoist and boat to boat transfer evolutions are a high risk right now,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Nash.
Nash said, “I recommended having the boat return to port and meet with EMS since the injured crew member was in stable condition. We hope he makes a full and fast recovery.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:56 PM.
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