After the man fell Saturday afternoon, the captain of the 800-foot Cyprus-flagged tanker, Nordmark, called watchstanders for help. A rescue helicopter from Air Station Houston was dispatched to their location, and an aircrew hoisted the man from the tanker and transported him to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Beaumont for medical care. The man had suffered a back injury but was transported in stable condition.
"It's a good thing the Coast Guard is able to respond to these kinds of emergency situations," said Bill Segelken, a watchstander at the sector. "The Coast Guard recognizes that accidents happen and it is important for us to be there, because we are the only ones with the capabilities to conduct medical evacuations from boats."
Segelken says fall-related injuries are relatively unique. He says the Coast Guard usually deals more often with accidents involving men working in fishing gear, anchor chains and lines.
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