VIDEO AVAILABLE: Coast Guard medevacs 54-year-old man from 738-foot container ship in San Francisco Bay

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 11th District Pacific Southwest Contact: 11th District Public Affairs Office: (510) 437-3325 After Hours: (510) 772-8865 11th District online newsroom

Coast Guard medevacs 54-year-old man from 738-foot container ship in San Francisco Bay

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SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard medevaced a 54-year-old Philippine national in San Francisco Bay, Monday evening.

A harbor pilot aboard the motor vessel Vittoria contacted Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders at approximately 6:20 p.m., reporting that the ship’s captain had clutched his chest and collapsed as the ship was making way to its anchorage south of Yerba Buena Island. 

A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched to medevac the man.

The Dolphin crew arrived on scene, hoisted the ship’s captain and transferred him to Walnut Creek Medical Center - John Muir Health. His condition is unknown.

The Coast Guard flight crew was Lt. Cmdr. Terry Herdliska, pilot; Lt. Catherine Schmitz, pilot; Petty Officer 2nd Class Dan Gossage, rescue swimmer; and Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeff Bothman, flight mechanic. 

"This case was my first live hoist," said Schmitz. "We train day in and day out to be ready to respond and it felt great to put that training into action and help someone in need."

-USCG-