Ill Filipino captain airlifted from cargo ship off Maryland

Stricken Filipino captain being airlifted from the Balsa 84 cargo ship. US COAST GUARD

OCEAN CITY, Maryland — Rescuers airlifted the 61-year-old Filipino captain off a cargo vessel near the Maryland coast Tuesday, March 10, after the man began experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The man’s identity and an update on his condition were not given.

The Panamanian-flagged cargo ship Balsa 84 was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) off the coast of Ocean City around 10:20 a.m. when crew members contacted the Delaware Bay command center to tell them the captain was showing signs of a possible heart attack and needed medical assistance, the agency said in a statement.

Cargo ship Balsa 84.

The Coast Guard launched an aircrew from an Atlantic City, New Jersey, air station to retrieve the man as the ship was headed to the Delaware Bay area, the statement said. He was transported by helicopter to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Md., for treatment.

“We are glad that they contacted us as soon as possible,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Will Lengyel, watchstander during the case. “The speedy notification helped us quickly get the captain the level of care he needed.”

The ship was en route from Veracruz Mexico to Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, upstream from Philadelphia. BALSA 84 entered Delaware Bay and was anchored same day at Big Stone Beach Anchorage.