C.G. Medevacs 2

By Sentinel Staff

Coast Guard Air Station Sitka performed two medevacs in the last two days.

The first was Monday for a 56-year-old Hoonah man with shortness of breath and heart failure symptoms. A helicopter crew launched at 2:08 p.m., picked up the patient and was back in Sitka with him by 4:30 p.m.

In a call today, a helicopter launched at 12:40 a.m. to medevac a 69-year-old Haines man in septic shock but had to return to Sitka because of mechanical complications, the Coast Guard said. It was launched shortly afterward and after picking up a flight nurse in Juneau flew on to Haines. The patient and nurse were flown to Juneau for a wing-to-wing transfer to a private medevac service, and the helicopter was back in Sitka at 6:45 a.m.