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Man Evacuated from merchant vessel James R. Barker on Lake Superior

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The U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian partners worked together to medically evacuate a 53-year-old man from a merchant vessel in northern Lake Superior, Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard received a call at about 4:15 a.m. from the merchant vessel James R. Barker requesting a medevac of a 53-year-old male crew member who was exhibiting symptoms of a medically urgent nature and was recommended by a U.S. Coast Guard flight surgeon to be evacuated to a trauma center. 

The vessel was determined to be in Canadian waters. Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton assumed command and requested air support from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan in order to evacuate the crew member in a timely manner.

Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City launched a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter which rendezvoused with the James R. Barker. Coast Guard crew members hoisted and transported the man to Marathon, Ontario, where he was then transported by local EMS to a medical facility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

“The U.S. Coast Guard works closely with our Canadian counterparts on a regular basis for search and rescue, ice operations and numerous other missions across our shared maritime border,” said Lt. Ted Borny, MH-60 Jayhawk pilot at Air Station Traverse City and pilot for the case.

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