HONOLULU- Coast Guard crewmembers aboard an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Barbers Point medevaced a Navy dive team member from Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, Thursday evening after he began suffering from chest pains and respiratory distress.
The Coast Guard command center here received a call for assistance about 8 p.m. Wednesday from the Theater Patient Movement Requirement Center regarding the deteriorating health of the 22-year-old service member.
A Hercules aircrew was launched at 8:30 a.m. Thursday to medevac the sailor from the island about 550 miles south of Oahu. Local Emergency Medical Services transferred the patient to the Hercules at 12:30 p.m.
Medical care was provided by members from the Hawaii Disaster Medical Assistance Team who was aboard the Hercules during the entire transfer.
The patient arrived at Air Station Barbers Point at approximately 5:30 p.m. and was safely transferred to EMS for further treatment at Tripler Army Medical Center Hospital.
The sailor is a member of a Navy dive team deployed to Kiritimati from Kadena, Japan.
Submitted by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mike De Nyse