Cortez Station of Coast Guard comes to aid of ill man off Egmont Key

When a man began suffering from symptoms of a heart attack aboard a tanker, the Cortez Station of the U.S. Coast Guard was called to help.

Around 10:15 a.m. Monday, Sector St. Petersburg received a report from crew members on a tanker, Gaschem State, that a man was suffering from symptoms of a heart attack, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard. The 550-foot tanker was 13 miles west of Egmont Key.

After a briefing on the situation, a flight surgeon recommended the 55-year-old man, a Phillippines national, be flown by helicopter.

A response boat from Station Cortez and a helicopter air crew from Air Station Clearwater were sent to help the man, according to the release.

With help from a Station Cortez Coast Guard member, the man was hoisted to the helicopter and taken to Tampa General Hospital, according to the release. The man was listed in stable condition.

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Cortez Station of Coast Guard comes to aid of ill man off Egmont Key."