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TORRANCE (CNS) - A 19-year-old man is recovering in a South Bay hospital today after being rescued from a fishing vessel, Coast Guard officials said.
At 3:13 p.m. Saturday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard's Los Angeles- Long Beach station received a report of a man having convulsions aboard the ship, located about eight miles off San Nicolas Island.
The man in distress didn't have his medication on the ship, so the Coast Guard dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter from the Forward Operating Base Point Mugu in San Francisco, nine minutes later.
Coast Guard cutter Narwhal was also diverted to help at the remote area near the Channel Islands, dozens of miles off the coast of Ventura County.
After reaching the scene, the helicopter crew dropped a rescue swimmer down to assess the patient, while they matched the speed and position of the vessel, and unspooled the responder to the deck.
Once on board, the team lowered a rescue basket, secured the man in place and hoisted him into the helicopter.
It touched down at Torrance Memorial Hospital and the Coast Guard transferred the man to emergency medical services personnel at about 4:25 p.m. Saturday.
The man was said to be in stable condition.