A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted a fishing boat captain who was in medical distress off his 44-foot boat and took him to Maine Medical Center.

The Coast Guard was notified at 7:44 a.m. that the master of the Rachel T was experiencing abdominal cramps and was in and out of consciousness, the agency said. The Coast Guard dispatched a Falcon jet and a Jayhawk helicopter to the scene, about 90 miles east of Casco Bay.

The helicopter arrived at about 10:15 a.m. and hoisted the 48-year-old mariner off the deck in a basket.

 “Even though the fishing vessel was 90 miles offshore, the crew was able to establish radio communications with the Coast Guard and we were able to quickly make the decision to respond and take the captain off the boat in order to receive emergency medical attention,” said Lt. Nick Barrow, command center supervisor at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “At sea, minutes count.”


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