PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard medevaced a man Saturday from a motor vessel about 110 miles east of Virginia Beach.Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5th District Command Center in Portsmouth received notification at about 7:45 p.m. Friday a 68-year-old Croatian crewman aboard the 590-foot Marshall Islands-flagged motor vessel Atlantic Tramp became unconscious and was experiencing symptoms including forgetfulness, loss of balance, slurred speech, and drooping of the right side of his face approximately 230 miles east of Virginia Beach.Due to the amount of time since the man’s symptoms began and the hazards associated with conducting a long-range medevac in the dark, the Coast Guard made plans to hoist the man at dawn. The Atlantic Tramp crew headed toward shore and continued to monitor the man’s condition.An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, at about 6:45 a.m. The aircrew arrived on scene with Atlantic Tramp about 110 miles east of Virginia Beach at approximately 7:45 a.m. The man was hoisted, then transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk at about 8:20 a.m. in stable condition.“Our training and teamwork allowed us to safely complete the mission and we were glad to be able to help,” said Lt. Seth Craven, co-pilot for the case.
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