Pregnant Crewmember Medevaced From Factory Trawler in Bering Sea

On Saturday, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter aircrew medevaced a pregnant crewmember from a factory trawler about 170 nm northwest of St. Paul, halfway between Dutch Harbor and Russia's Chukotka Province. 

That morning, District 17 Command Center personnel received a medevac request from the captain of the trawler Northern Jaeger, who reported that a 22-year-old female crewmember was experiencing medical complications from a pregnancy. 

The Northern Jaeger was located roughly 170 miles northwest of St. Paul. At about 1445 hours, the helicopter crew rendezvoused with the vessel and hoisted the patient on board. They flew her safely to Cold Bay and transferred her to a LifeMed flight team, who transported her onwards for medical care. 

An Air Station Kodiak aircrew aboard a HC-130J Hercules aircraft provided surveillance and support for the operation. 

Northern Jaeger was one of three American Seafoods-operated factory trawlers that experienced COVID-19 outbreaks earlier this year. According to ASC, Northern Jaeger experienced an outbreak involving 21 crewmembers in early June. The American Dynasty had an outbreak involving 94 crewmembers in June, and the American Triumph experienced two outbreaks back-to-back - once in Bellingham in June (four cases) and another in Dutch Harbor in July (85 cases). COVID-19 was not a reported factor in Saturday's medevac.