U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Team Up to Rescue Crewmember From Cable Layer 400 Miles Off Guam

A dramatic rescue operation unfolded in the Pacific as U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy forces worked together to evacuate an ill crewmember from a U.S.-flagged cable layer vessel operating hundreds of miles offshore Guam. The 60-year-old mariner was experiencing heart attack symptoms and needed urgent medical attention far beyond the reach of conventional rescue resources. This successful operation highlights the critical importance of maritime search and rescue capabilities in remote ocean regions.

The Distress Call

At about 1010 hours on Monday, the Coast Guard station at Guam received an urgent distress call from the captain of the cable-layer Decisive. A 60-year-old crewmember was showing symptoms of a heart attack and required immediate higher-level medical care that the vessel could not provide. The situation was dire – at the time of the distress call, the ship was positioned approximately 400 nautical miles offshore Guam, placing it well beyond the range of any helicopter capable of performing a medical evacuation. The clock was ticking for the ailing mariner.

Race Against Distance

Upon receiving the distress call, the captain of Decisive made the critical decision to alter course and head toward Guam to close the distance between the vessel and potential rescue resources. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard established a regular communication schedule with the ship’s crew, checking in every four hours to monitor the patient’s condition and ensure that proper medical care was being administered aboard. This constant communication proved vital in tracking the evolving situation and coordinating the eventual rescue. As the hours passed, Decisive steadily made progress toward the island, providing hope that the crewmember could be reached in time.

The Rescue Mission

On Tuesday morning, Decisive finally approached within helicopter range of Guam, and the Coast Guard immediately dispatched a U.S. Navy Knighthawk helicopter aircrew to retrieve the ailing mariner. The Knighthawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 arrived on scene at 1145 hours Tuesday and successfully hoisted the crewmember aboard the aircraft. This delicate operation, performed hundreds of miles from shore, showcased the exceptional training and capabilities of the Navy rescue aircrew. Once aboard the helicopter, the mariner was quickly transported to Naval Hospital Guam for further evaluation and treatment, where medical professionals could provide the specialized cardiac care that the patient desperately needed.

About The Vessel Decisive

Decisive, formerly known as Tyco Decisive, is a U.S.-flagged cable layer that was built at Keppel shipyard in 2003. The vessel is operated by a manager based in Baltimore and is crewed by members of the Seafarers International Union. Cable layer vessels play a crucial role in maintaining global communications infrastructure by installing and repairing submarine cables that carry internet and telephone traffic across the world’s oceans. The vessel’s location 400 miles offshore Guam demonstrates the extensive operational range of these specialized ships and the unique challenges they face when medical emergencies occur far from shore-based facilities.

Busy Period For Rescue Teams

This medevac operation marked the third such rescue mission in a matter of weeks for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, which works closely with the Coast Guard to provide search and rescue coverage in and around the island of Guam. The squadron has been actively supporting maritime safety operations in the region, responding to a variety of medical emergencies involving crewmembers aboard vessels transiting the Pacific. Previously, the same rescue team medevaced a 27-year-old woman who had sustained serious spinal injuries in a fall, as well as a mariner who was experiencing severe abdominal pain aboard a foreign-flagged ship. This pattern of operations underscores the constant demand for aerial maritime rescue capabilities in this strategically important region.

Strategic Importance of Guam

The successful rescue operation highlights Guam’s vital role as a strategic hub in the Pacific and the importance of maintaining robust search and rescue capabilities in the region. As a U.S. territory, Guam serves as a critical base for American military operations and commercial shipping activities throughout the Western Pacific. The island’s location makes it a crucial waypoint for vessels transiting between Asia and the American West Coast, which means that medical emergencies can occur at great distances from definitive care facilities. Having trained rescue personnel and appropriate aircraft stationed on Guam ensures that life-saving assistance can be dispatched rapidly whenever mariners find themselves in peril far from shore.