— from Michael Welding for NAS Whidbey —
A Search and Rescue (SAR) team of six from Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island conducted a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) from Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, Wash. to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017.
The SAR alert crew received an early morning call for help from Olympic Medical Center staff for an elderly male suffering from an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. The crew launched about 3:45 a.m. and arrived shortly thereafter at Olympic Medical Center to conduct patient turnover. After the turnover was complete the crew took off shortly after 4:30 a.m. and proceeded directly to Harborview Medical Center where the patient was turned over to a higher level of care.
This was the 22nd Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) of 2017 for NAS Whidbey Island SAR, which has also conducted seven Searches and 36 Rescue missions delivering 72 lives to a higher level of care.
The Navy SAR unit operates three MH-60S helicopters from NAS Whidbey Island as search and rescue/medical evacuation (SAR/MEDEVAC) platforms for the EA-18G aircraft as well as other squadrons and personnel assigned to the installation. Pursuant to the National SAR Plan of the United States, the unit may also be used for civil SAR/MEDEVAC needs to the fullest extent practicable on a non-interference basis with primary military duties according to applicable national directives, plans, guidelines and agreements; specifically, the unit may launch in response to tasking by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (based on a Washington State Memorandum of Understanding) for inland missions, and/or tasking by the United States Coast Guard for all other aeronautical and maritime regions, when other assets are unavailable.
