Acting upon a help call the Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center in Juneau had rescued Michael Calahan, 19, who was injured when his right arm was pinched in a piece of hydraulic equipment while working aboard the 94-foot fishing vessel Collier Brothers. It is told that the Coast Guard received a call from crew board the trawler explaining Calahan was in need of medical assistance. The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon determined a medevac was the best course of action for the patient based on his reported injuries.
According to Coast Guard official an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak was launched and arrived at the vessel around 8:41 p.m. The flight mechanic lowered a rescue swimmer and basket to the vessel and was safely hoisted Calahan into the helicopter. Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Atchison, aviation maintenance technician, opined that this was his first rescue as a flight mechanic. He told that it was a challenge with the way the fishing boat was setup with the rigging and cluttered deck.
After few hours of grueling task the helicopter returned to Air Station Kodiak where Calahan was transferred to awaiting emergency medical technicians for medical care at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center. His condition was reported as stable. Lt. David Feeney, MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter pilot, said that it was a case uncharacteristic to Kodiak due to the short distance and the good weather conditions. He further said that from Kodiak most of our medevacs are in bad weather and are great distances off shore.
