Indian Coast Guard deftly carries out mid-sea medical evacuation of mariner on foreign vessel

Kochi, August 14

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The Indian Coast Guard on Monday carried out a mid-sea medical evacuation of a critically ill mariner aboard a foreign vessel off the Kerala coast amidst extreme weather conditions, a Defence Ministry statement said.

The Coast Guard carried out the medical evacuation of mariner Valid Ola Gilbert, a Filipino national, from MV Evelyn Maersk on board one of its vessels as it was difficult to shift him to the Advance Light Helicopter (ALH), the statement said.

The vessel was en route from Colombo to Suez Canal and was 110 nautical miles away from Kochi when the request for aid was received, it said.

The Defence PRO also tweeted about the “swiftly coordinated medical evacuation”.

“In a swiftly coordinated Medical Evacuation @IndiaCoastGuard saved a critical #Mariner requiring immediate hospitalisation. Mr. Valid Ola Gilbert, 55 yr old #Filipino had collapsed onboard #MVEvelynMaersk heading to #SuezCanal, 110Nm from #Kochi.

“The patient was unconscious & retrieved by administering #CPR. Further ICGS C-427 braving extreme weather conditions successfully conducted the #MEDEVAC, stabilised the patient & rushed him ashore rendering timely medical assistance,” it tweeted.

The Defence PRO statement said information about the mariner in medical distress was received on August 13 at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai through Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Denmark.

Thereafter, the vessel was contacted, provided with tele-medical assistance and the evacuation of the distressed mariner was planned, it said.