Coast Guard Oak Island crew members and a Brunswick County paramedic came to the aid of an ailing man Wednesday aboard a charter fishing vessel approximately 15 miles southeast of the Cape Fear River entrance.
Personnel at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received notification from the 25-foot charter vessel with five people on board Wednesday about noon stating a 35-year-old male passenger with heart problems was in and out of consciousness approximately 28 miles southeast of the Cape Fear River entrance.
A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat (MLB) crew from Station Oak Island launched first and a 29-foot Response Boat-Small (RBS) from Station Oak Island later launched after taking aboard a Brunswick County paramedic.
Both crews arrived alongside the charter vessel approximately 15 miles southeast of the Cape Fear River entrance. The Coast Guard MLB crew took aboard the paramedic, the patient and two of his family members. The paramedic provided medical care to the man with Coast Guard assistance while transiting to shore.
The Coast Guard crew brought the man to Southport Marina in Southport and placed him in the care of Brunswick County EMS. He was reported in stable condition.
"When a person almost 30 miles offshore needs critical medical assistance, every moment and every decision going into the response is crucial," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Quenten Lehrschall, MLB operator for the case. "We're glad that by coordinating with Brunswick County medical personnel we were able to get this man the care he needed in time."