WASHINGTON, December 4 (RIA Novosti) - The US Coast Guard helped rescue a 42-year-old Russian national and transported him to a hospital on Monday after the man sustained severe burns while working on an oil tanker located 10 miles off America’s Gulf Coast.
“Communication was critical in this case, since one of our watchstanders can speak Russian and was able to translate his condition to facilitate his immediate medical attention,” said Petty Officer Tyler Powers, a coxswain for the Coast Guard Station Pascagoula, which answered the distress calls received from crew members of an 803-foot petroleum tank ship named the Overseas Beryl.
Coast Guard members stationed in the state of Mississippi received a call around 4:20 p.m. on Monday saying that the Russian crewmember received second-degree burns to his legs and his hand after reportedly performing maintenance on a boiler, the Coast Guard stated in a press release.
After receiving the call, the Coast Guard sent a 45-foot response boat to the oil tanker and transported the Russian national to a hospital in Mississippi where “with a combination of exact translation and the enhanced capabilities of the 45-footer, we were able to identify other serious burns and adjust speed more effectively to provide a comfortable ride,” Powers said.
The crewmember’s identity hasn’t been released; he was transported to the University of South Alabama Regional Burn Center where he is reported in fair condition.
