Medevac off Florence, March 16

FLORENCE, Ore. — The Coast Guard medically evacuated a possible stroke victim off a boat Sunday afternoon, March 15, near the Siuslaw River entrance in Florence. A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Siuslaw River rendezvoused with a 24-foot recreational boat about 5 miles southwest of the river entrance and transferred a 55-year-old man onto the 47-foot MLB. The man was transferred to emergency medical services at Station Siuslaw and transported him to Peace Harbor Hospital. At 1:30 p.m., a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector North Bend answered a call for help from the operators of the recreational vessel via VHF-FM radio channel 16 and immediately directed the launch of the Siuslaw River boat crew and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Sector North Bend. The 47-foot MLB crew arrived on scene and transferred the patient at 1:55 p.m. and returned to the dock at 2:08 p.m. The man was transferred to EMS at 2:24 p.m. The sea and wind conditions on scene were 4-foot seas and winds of 5 m.p.h.