VIDEO: Coast Guard Rescues Oil Tanker Crew Member Offshore Texas

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced Wednesday that it rescued a tanker crew member from the water 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas.

“Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a distress call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 9.23 am from personnel aboard the tanker vessel Ghibli, stating that a crew member had fallen overboard and was not wearing a life jacket,” the USCG said in a statement posted on its website.

“Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, diverted an already airborne MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston and directed the launch of a 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Galveston,” the USCG added.

The helicopter crew located the man, deployed a rescue swimmer to pull him from the water, and transported him to University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston to receive further care, the USCG noted in the statement, adding that the man was “reportedly in stable condition”.

“Wearing a life jacket is absolutely crucial,” Travis Addison, Operations Unit Controller at Sector Houston-Galveston, said in the USCG statement.

“It was fortunate that our helicopter crew was flying nearby. If not, this case might have ended differently,” he added.

A video posted on USCG Heartland’s Twitter page shows the USCG rescue operation taking place.

A @USCG Air Station Houston helicopter crew rescued a tanker crew member that fell overboard 10 miles offshore, #Galveston, Texas. More here: https://t.co/yfSYoRkM3L pic.twitter.com/9Ja1jyTsl8

— USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) September 13, 2023

The Ghibli vessel is a crude oil tanker built in 2009 sailing under the flag of Liberia, according to marinetraffic.com, which shows that the vessel is located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico at the time of writing.

On August 10, the USCG revealed that it medevaced two boaters from a construction vessel approximately 20 miles south of Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana.

“Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a medevac request at approximately 11 am from the emergency medical technician aboard the vessel for a passenger experiencing heart related issues,” the USCG said in a statement posted on its site last month.

“Sector New Orleans watchstanders then coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to assist,” the statement added.

“The aircrew arrived on scene, hoisted the two boaters aboard the helicopter and transferred them to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at the University Medical Center in New Orleans. The man was last reported to be in stable condition,” the USCG statement continued.

A video of this rescue was also posted on the USCG’s Twitter page.

A #USCG Air Station New Orleans aircrew medevaced 2 boaters from a construction vessel approximately 20 miles south of Atchafalaya Bay, #Louisiana.

Read more here, https://t.co/1OyEnZCtif pic.twitter.com/BIvdaLzG4t

— USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) August 11, 2023

On July 23, the USCG announced in a Twitter statement that it conducted the medevac of a 43 year old woman from an oil tanker 55 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Coast Guard conducts medevac of a 43-year-old woman from an oil tanker 55 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana. #coastguard #dolphin #lakecharles #searchandrescue pic.twitter.com/ZFkun01e6b

— USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) July 23, 2023

On July 9, the USCG said it medevaced a crew member from an oil rig 88 miles off Freeport, Texas.

“Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a notification at 5.46 am that a 50 year old oil rig crewman was experiencing symptoms of cardiac arrest and needed medical assistance,” the USCG said in a statement posted on its site at the time.

“Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac. Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to conduct the medevac and a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew to provide a cover flight,” the statement added.

“The helicopter crew landed aboard the oil rig, embarked the man, and transferred him to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. The patient was reportedly in stable condition,” it continued.

Pictures of that rescue were posted on the USCG’s Twitter page.

#BREAKING a @USCG Air Station #Houston helicopter crew medevaced a 50 y.o. man from an oil rig 88 miles offshore Freeport, Texas after experiencing symptoms of cardiac arrest. More on the rescue here: https://t.co/FgrKiSg12n pic.twitter.com/JU7HIcRX86

— USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) July 9, 2023

The USCG is the principal Federal agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship in U.S. ports and inland waterways, along more than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline, throughout the 4.5 million square miles of U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and on the high seas, the organization notes on its website.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com