Jones Act Seaman Rescued in Chesapeake Bay Turns into Medical Evacuation
Earlier this week, the Coast Guard responded to a call regarding a boat taking on water. While responding, the Coast Guard was forced to conduct a medical evacuation of one of the crew members after he suffered from a seizure during the rescue process.
The crew of a 55-foot fishing vessel, The Bella, noticed the fishing boat they were towing, the Danna Elizabeth, was taking on water in the Chesapeake Bay. The crew members notified the Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, and the station dispatched a response boat. .jpg)
However, before the rescue crews arrived, the Danna Elisabeth crew members abandoned the fishing vessel for a life raft. When the rescue boats arrived and began to transfer the crew members to the Bella, one of the seamen, Tony Moliner, began seizing. The Coast Guard rushed Moliner to the Easter Yacht Club after which he was medically evacuated to a Baltimore hospital.
Moliner was lucky that trained rescue crews were at the scene and able to make sure he was safely taken aboard the vessel and transferred for a medical evacuation. The outcome here could have been very different. As an ill crew member of a fishing vessel in distress, Moliner could have been in a very dangerous situation.
Jones Act Seaman Face Many Dangers
This is just one example of the kind of challenges and dangers a Jones Act seaman faces when he sets out on the water. Some others include:
- Out in the ocean, rescue and emergency medical attention can be delayed for various reasons.
- Rough seas and harsh weather can make medical evacuation from a Jones Act vessel difficult.
- Workers can find their anxiety magnified due to the distance from their families and loved ones.
It is during these times of illness and injury that the perils maritime workers face each day, become clear. Knowing that, it is difficult when we, as maritime lawyers, see injured workers struggling to receive compensation after suffering an injury.
